


How Well Do You Burn?

by NovemberNights



Category: Saint Seiya, Voltron: Legendary Defender, crossover - Fandom
Genre: "i am really doing this", Allura is Athena, Alternate Universe, Angst, Blood, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Crossover, F/M, Friends to Lovers, I think it counts as one, In regards to saint seiya more than voltron, Injury, Keith & Shiro (Voltron) are Siblings, Major Character Injury, Matt likes puns you can't stop me, More puns from Matt, Near Death Experiences, Ryner is Pidge's teacher!, Slow Burn, Survivor Guilt, Voltron: Saint Seiya AU, Zarkon is Hades, do you know how weird it feels to write characters calling out attack names, gee aren't these tags lovely, i.e. excessive anime projectile blood loss, it's a surreal experience, mwahahaha
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22151206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NovemberNights/pseuds/NovemberNights
Summary: For as long as Katie can remember, her father has served as one of the Saints of Athena, far off in Greece. When her brother Matt, and his friend Shiro showed interest, he took them on as apprentices. Now, her best friend and Shiro's brother, Keith, wants to follow in their footsteps. Not wanting to be left behind, she fakes her way to the Sanctuary, where she trains to be a Saint.Little does she know she's signing up for a war 200 years in the making.This is a Voltron-Saint Seiya AU passion project of mine. I had a MIGHTY NEED. I did my best to write it in a way that is easy for those unfamiliar with the Saint Seiya franchise to "get it".
Relationships: Hunk & Keith & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt & Shiro, Hunk & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Pidge (Voltron), Keith/Pidge | Katie Holt, Matt Holt & Keith, Matt Holt & Keith & Shiro
Comments: 45
Kudos: 72





	1. The Stars, Oh, How Brightly They Burn

**Author's Note:**

> This is a "little" something I started back in 2017 and wrote several chapters of, primarily for myself(so I definitely broke some Saint Seiya universe rules for the au but like... artistic license). I shared it with some friends, so I wrote it keeping in mind they knew nothing about Saint Seiya, so it shouldn't be too hard to jump in. I finally had some time to get back to it, so I've decided to share it here too.
> 
> It was originally written in past tense-but since my methods have changed since writing the first 11 chapters and I'll be continuing it, I've gone through and switched things to present tense, so there may be occasional spots where I missed something.

_“I’m going to Greece.” Keith said._

_The stars in the night sky winked down at them._

_Katie set down her glass of lemonade. “What?”_

~~~

Katie sighs from her seat overlooking the amphitheatre and taps the silver mask on her face impatiently. In three months of wearing the stifling thing she has yet to truly get used to it. She itches for the sensation of the cool breeze on her face as it teases the ends of her brown hair.

~~~

_“I’ve been talking to Shiro about it for a while now. He talked to your dad and, well, that’s why he’s here.”_

_Katie threw a glance over her shoulder, eyeing their parents as they chatted by the firepit across the yard. “What do you mean?” Her dad never came home from Greece without a reason._

~~~

Of course, Katie is still getting used to not having her tech around too, not that she has time for it in the Sanctuary anyway. Her days are filled with apprentice training as of late; she is proficient enough even to participate in some of the practice matches now, like the one in the arena below her.

Directing her gaze to the floor of the amphitheatre, Katie watches with disinterest as two apprentices trade blows across the packed earth. A boring match, neither of the combatants have any sense of technique. She scoffs to herself.

“That bad, huh?” Footsteps scuff against the stone steps.

She turns to see Lance and his friend Hunk descending the stairs behind her. Both are training to become saints, as she is.

~~~

_“Apparently it means I’d be a ‘promising student’,” Keith said, fingers curling into air quotes. “We’re leaving at the end of the week.”_

_“So he’s taking you away too,” Katie lay down in the grass and sighed. She was tired of people leaving._

_Keith elbowed her shoulder, “Hey, this way I can make sure our brothers aren’t getting themselves killed.”_

_A small smile tugged at her lips., “Yeah.” Just don’t get yourself killed, she thought._

~~~

“Do you have a match today?” she asks. 

Lance shakes his head with a smile as he sits down beside her, “Nope. We came to cheer you on, Pidge!” His voice carries the heavy lilt of his mother tongue. 

Katie smiles at the nickname, something the lanky Cuban had bestowed upon her with soon after meeting her, and she’d quickly taken to introducing herself as such. 

~~~

_“Hey, um…” Katie pulled at a fistful of grass._

_Behind them the sounds of their parents’ laughter mixed with the crackling of the fire._

_“What is it?”_

~~~

"Thanks, guys.” 

“No problem,” Hunk smiles from her other side. “But apparently your opponent today is pretty tough.” 

She turns to him and raises an eyebrow—but quickly remembers her mask and corrects herself, “Oh really? Who is it?” 

Lance plants his hands on his knees and leans toward her excitably, “Dunno, but he’s been here for a year or so. Never met him, but I’ve seen him around. Dark hair, not quite as tall as me. I hear his cosmo’s super strong though.” 

Hunk nods, “If it weren’t for that, you’d probably be evenly matched.” 

Katie frowns to herself, “Why would they make a match with such a gap in power?” 

Lance shrugs, “To simulate the real thing, I guess. You can’t get better if you fight the same people over and over.” 

Around them a number of spectators, mostly fellow trainees, suddenly erupt into cheers, pulling the trio’s attention down to the arena. The silver saint directing the day’s matches, Cerberus Iverson, has called time on the match and declared a winner. The combatants shake hands and clear the arena as Iverson calls out for the next match to begin soon. 

Lance leaps cheerfully from his seat and slaps Katie on the back, “Knock our socks off, Pidge!” 

“Be careful! We’ll cheer for you!” Hunk adds, giving her a quick hug before she thanks them and starts down to the amphitheatre floor. 

~~~

_“Take care of yourself, you idiot.” She couldn’t stop her words from wavering and tightened her grip on the grass in her hand._

_Keith sat up off his elbows and fixed his midnight eyes on her, gentleness in his resolute gaze._

~~~

Katie marches down the hall to the arena as she tightens her hair tie, fingers ghosting the edge of her mask to make sure it is secure as she focuses on her cosmo. It’s a strange thing, cosmo. Flaring with passion, spluttering with doubt, but always there, now that she’s learned how to find it. She dives inside of herself in search of that burning, glimmering essence of the stars. Its warmth envelopes her, growing as days and weeks pass and she hones her skill. It’s still small, her being early in her training, but any cosmo, in the right hands, is a force to be reckoned with. 

But even her cosmo can’t prepare her for what this match has in store for her. Not that she knows that, yet. 

Katie strides out into the arena and follows Iverson’s directions, moving to stand in her end of the field. Her opponent stands opposite her in silence until Iverson declares the start of the match, at which point he rushed across the arena in an attempt to catch her off guard. She expected an attack right at the start, however, and steps aside as he draws close. Pulling back her fist, she strikes quickly, but the blow glances off her opponent’s arm as he passes. 

Katie finds herself almost stunned at how quickly he had moved, but she recovers and swiftly turns to face him again, fists raised in a fighting stance. Evidently she hadn’t turned fast enough, as she takes a blow to the stomach with a pained grunt. Her feet dig into the ground as the force pushes her back, but she holds her stance and springs forward with a yell. Katie lunges, aiming to strike her opponent’s shoulder, but her fist never makes it that far. Instead, her opponent catches the attack with his own hand, trapping her as he shifts his feet and delivers another punch to her now-exposed gut. His face is fully visible for a fraction of a second as he nears her and the blow lands, hardened midnight eyes watching her stumble backwards. 

Those same midnight eyes that had left more than a year ago.

~~~

_“We’ll see each other again, I promise.”_

~~~

And in an instant, they’re gone. His fist impacts her jaw before she can blink, and Katie collapses in a heap at his feet.

***

When she comes to, the sight of Hunk’s big, friendly face leaning over her is surprising. Behind him the sky is a bold blue color, and a breeze passes over her bare arms, underneath which she can feel grit and pebbles. Katie realizes she is laying on the ground and stretches, wincing as the motion sends pain through her sore muscles.

“Oh good, you’re awake!” Hunk smiles. “How are you feeling?” he asks, offering a hand.

Katie takes his hand and pulls herself into an upright position, groaning at the throbbing in her jaw. It doesn’t feel broken, at least.

“Not great. What happened?” she asks. It hurts to talk.

Hunk’s smile falls, “You froze up and he punched you square in the jaw. Iverson called the match and Lance and I came to get you. You’ll probably have a headache soon.”

She nods and pulls her legs in, resting her arms on her knees, “Where’s Lance?”

“Over here!” Lance calls from behind her.

Katie cranes her neck to see him sitting atop a broken pillar. He swings his legs over the edge and jumps down to join them on the ground.

“What were you doing?” she asks.

Lance holds his hands to his eyes in big O shapes, “Watching.”

“What for?” Hunk asks.

Lance blinks, “Right, I didn’t tell you,” he pauses and plants his hands on his hips, “Keith.

Katie stares at him, unmoving.

“Your opponent?” Lance tries. She doesn’t respond, and he huffs in exasperation, “We heard Iverson call him Keith.”

Katie turns her gaze to her feet and draws them in closer. _Keith…_

Lance grins and makes a fist, “First chance I get I’m gonna fight him!”

Hunk’s eyes widen in alarm, “Woah, Lance, you know personal fights aren’t allowed.”

Lance lets his fist uncurl and drop to his side, “Well, yeah. I meant in training, or in a tournament.”

Hunk hums to himself and decides to let it go. He turns to Katie, “Pidge, why don’t we take you back to your cabin?”

Katie’s head snaps up, “What?”

Hunk shakes his head. “C’mon, let’s head back,” he says, pulling her to her feet with a strong hand.

“Oh, okay,” Katie brushes herself off and follows him down the steps with Lance in tow. She waves goodbye to them when they reach her cabin, but only after they’d left does she turn to go inside. Shuffling across the room, she falls back onto her bed with a sigh and stares at the ceiling. Her roommate, Ina, a quiet, blonde girl from somewhere in northern Europe (Iceland, if she remembers correctly), isn’t there, but she is thankful for the alone time in her absence.

So she’s found Keith. She's seen her father around the Sanctuary a few times, too. Matt and Shiro still elude her though, which seems odd. If anything, she had expected to find Keith last.

But certainly not in the manner that she has.

Katie sits up and slips out of her apprentice armor. She is proud of it, basic as it is. It signifies everything she's done to get to Greece in the first place. Knowing her parents would have tried to stop her from going to the Sanctuary, she'd convinced them that she was going to an overseas school after graduation. She couldn’t bear to be left behind by her brother and their childhood friends, and had traveled to Greece regardless.

She closes her eyes and lays back down. If only she could reconnect with them.

Sleep is a long time coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're new to saint seiya and this interests you, I recommend watching the classic Saint Seiya anime, which has been recently added to netflix through episode 73 with the GOOD English dub(a miracle, and they even picked up where it left off), as well as the original japanese(very good). I love it to bits in all of its 80's glory.  
> Please avoid the cgi series. cries for my boy Shun
> 
> Some basic things about the Saint Seiya Universe that will be relevant for this fic:  
> -Saints are soldiers of Athena, each bearing armor(called a "cloth") themed after one of 88 constellations. There are three ranks of Saint; Bronze, Silver, and Gold(gold being the 12 Zodiac). Apprentice saints are given basic leather armor or something. idk what exactly it's made of.  
> -Cosmo is the power Saints use to fight, since they are forbidden from using weapons(with some exceptions). They "burn" their cosmo, exploding atoms and harnessing the power of the universe. Everything has cosmo, but only people like saints are trained to use it and fight.  
> -Specters are soldiers of Hades, and will show up occasionally. They wear dark armor called a Surplice, and use cosmo as well.  
> -Saints and Specters introduce themselves with their full title, and are often referred to with it as well. These consist of constellation name and their name, for Saints, and Specters have a star and the name of their armor preceding their name.  
> -This takes place primarily in Greece, at the Sanctuary, which is a mountain where the Saints live and train, and defend Athena.  
> -A figure known as the Pope oversees the goings-on of the Sanctuary and serves as Athena's advisor. Not an actual pope.  
> -Traditionally, Saints were the male warriors of Athena, as in most traditional cultures women are not expected to fight. There are, however, two kinds of female saint:  
> -Normally, female Saints don a mask, casting off their exemption(masks, in this story, have holes for the eyes, like in Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas). If a masked female Saint is seen by a man without her mask, she must either love him or kill him. Not everybody likes this part of Saint Seiya lore, but it works really well for Pidge/Katie's secret identity, and I just think it looks super cool :)  
> -A select group of highly-specialized female saints are known as Saintia, and they serve as Athena's personal bodyguards and handmaidens, and thus do not wear masks.
> 
> I am by no means an expert on Saint Seiya, but I've invested a lot of time into reading/watching whatever I can get my hands on, so I know a lot. If anything is confusing or you just have questions about the AU, ask and I shall do my best to answer!


	2. Scorpio Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After three years of training, Keith earns the Scorpio Gold Cloth. With it comes responsibilities- and status.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _nyooom_ ~2yr timeskip! because what is consistent chronology?
> 
> Words cannot describe how happy I am that this has been received well! Thank you all for reading and I hope the slow burn is worth it in the end... eventually. Still waiting on the matches to dry out, lol.

Keith stares at his gold-clad fist pensively, wondering at the surprisingly lightweight metal that protects him. It slides cold and smooth like fluid over his skin as he clenches and unclenches his fist, still not used to how well the golden cloth fits. Three years he’s waited for this moment; training, learning, and fighting, all to better himself. All to fulfill a Saint’s duty—and a promise. 

Armored footsteps sound behind him and he turns to see Shiro, outlined by the heavy curtains that fall shut as he steps inside. The Sagittarius Saint’s cloth gleams in the torchlight from the walls.

“Are you ready?” Shiro asks, stopping beside Keith to place a hand on the younger Saint’s shoulder.

Keith lets his fist fall to his side and his gaze drops to the floor, “Yeah.”

Shiro hums and gives Keith’s shoulder a friendly squeeze, “You’ll do fine.”

“Just so long as you don’t let any Specters in,” calls a new voice, metallic steps tapping a measured rhythm against the stone.

Shiro rolls his eyes and glances over his shoulder, “Easy for you to say, Matt.”

Matt scoffs sarcastically and steps around the two brothers, helmet perched in the crook of his arm. “I mean it. You’ll be the first house in the Sanctuary now, Keith. How’s your welcome speech?”

Shiro smiles and shakes his head at the Aquarius Saint, “Somehow I doubt it’d be very welcoming.”

A splash of daylight crosses the floor as someone pulls back the curtains and steps inside with a quick bow. It’s an unmasked girl, one of Athena’s Saintias.

“Lady Athena is ready,” she announces.

Matt takes his helmet in both hands and places it on his head before addressing the Saintia, “Tell her we’re on our way.”

The girl bobs her head and slips outside.

Keith readjusts his own helmet, “Well, we’d best get going, then.”

Shiro nods and turns to leave, Keith moving to follow him until a hand on his shoulder pulls him back.

Matt gives Keith a skeptical look and tugs at his cape, “Is that really how you intend to wear this?”

Shiro stops and turns to see what Matt is talking about. Keith’s cape, while attached at the right places, is pulled to one side a bit, so that it’s pinched under the pauldrons and hangs over his arm.

Keith fingers the edge of the white fabric, “Well, no, not exactly.”

Matt smirks to himself, “That’s what I thought.” He hooks a finger under the pauldron and loosens the bunched up fabric, then bends down and picks up the corner of the cape.

Shiro steps closer and does the same on the other side, the two Saints pulling the cape in unison to unfurl it to its full length.

“Now you look a bit more sensible,” Shiro adds.

Matt shoots him a look, “You were going to leave him like that.”

Keith turns and frowns at Shiro, who punches him playfully in the shoulder.

“I’d have fixed it without making him feel foolish.”

“Ah, but then he wouldn’t have learned. And besides,” Matt pauses and smooths out a wrinkle in his own cape as he lifts the curtains, “it’s more fun.”

***

Athena’s voice carries clearly across the amphitheatre as Keith kneels between Matt and Shiro. It’s the usual ceremony, something he’d sat through before when his brother and Matt became Gold Saints. A breeze plays with the ends of Athena’s long, white dress, making the fabric flutter slightly at her feet as she addresses the crowded amphitheatre. Keith’s golden helmet rests in her hands, the bright metal shining against her skin. 

Stories of past Holy Wars describe young women of similar beauty—but there had always been some variance. Today’s Athena sports bright, almost crystalline blue eyes, and hair a bright silver that cascades in waves down her back. She stands proud in the morning sun, commanding a rapt audience with her words.

Athena’s speech soon comes to an end, and the three Gold Saints wait as she crosses the pavilion. She stops in front of Keith, her hand appearing in his vision as she lifts his chin.

“Rise, Gold Saint,” her voice is warm, and Keith does as told.

Athena’s crystal blue gaze twinkles as she lifts the golden helm above Keith’s head.

“You have done well and fought hard to receive the title of Gold Saint. I am proud to bestow upon you, Keith Kogane, the Scorpio Gold Cloth. May it serve you well in your fight to preserve the Love and Justice in the world,” she pauses, and places the Scorpio helm upon Keith’s head. “I pray that you may fulfill your duty as a Saint for years to come.”

Keith nods and kneels once again, “Thank you, Lady Athena. I pledge to serve you well.”

“I know you will,” Athena smiles and turns to leave, followed closely by Pope Coran. No one moves until Athena leaves the amphitheatre, at which point the Gold Saints rise, prompting movement from the Saints and apprentices assembled in the amphitheatre.

“How does it feel?” Shiro asks, standing alongside Keith as the crowd begins to disperse.

Keith shifts his weight to one foot, “Official, I guess.” His gaze flicks out across the crowd. He notices one girl, a masked apprentice with a golden-brown ponytail, watching the Gold Saints as two apprentices chatter excitedly to each other next to her. She seems familiar, perhaps from a training match nearly two years ago, but he isn’t sure.

“Look at you, already on edge,” Matt calls, walking back from talking with another Saint.

Keith turns to the Aquarius Saint with an arched brow.

Matt chuckles to himself, “Shiro, looks like we’ve found the Sanctuary the perfect guard dog.”

“I am not!” Keith protests.

Shiro smiles and cuffs his brother in the back of the head. “C’mon, you dorks. We’ve got things to do,” he turns to leave, Matt trailing after him.

Keith rubs his head, grumbling, as he scans the crowd once more before following the other Gold Saints. The girl, he notes, is gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I made it clear by description that Athena is, in fact, Allura.  
> The boys' armors:  
> [Keith's Armor](http://static2.minitokyo.net/view/17/00/725017.jpg)  
> [Shiro's Armor](http://static2.minitokyo.net/view/11/00/725011.jpg)  
> [Matt's Armor](http://static2.minitokyo.net/view/13/00/725013.jpg)  
> [Pope Coran's Robes](https://rei.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/12602-1503923329.jpg)


	3. Antares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith returns from a mission boasting new powers and seeks Shiro out to discuss them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ:  
> Hopefully I've made it clear enough in the tags but, Fair Warning: Blood starts being a thing in this chapter & will progressively become more excessive throughout the story, as mandated by the Laws of Excessive Blood Loss and Projectile Blood Loss in Saint Seiya characters. It's more of a fantasy flair than a "ew gross cover the kids' eyes" kind of thing, but I thought I'd make it known. If you'd like to read but want to know what parts to avoid, let me know and I can certainly be accommodating!

Shiro told Keith about the power hidden in the Gold cloth once. About how it bonds with something deep inside you, like an entire universe merging with your own cosmo. All the Saints’ cloths are alive to some extent, but only the Gold cloths have the kind of spark that whispers ancient secrets known only to a select few every generation.

But he never expected it to feel like this.

As Keith stares down the Specter in front of him, his cosmo a raging fire, something surges within him, ablaze with the energy of a thousand galaxies. It’s so sudden, but feels so natural as it whispers to his soul. His eyes seek out the fourteen stars of the Scorpio constellation on his opponent’s body like second nature, and a brilliant crimson needle appears on his fingertip, laced with a burning poison.

It’s the speed that surprises him, though. In less than an instant he moves behind his now screaming opponent. No, not quite screaming. No sound escapes the Specter’s lips as blood gushes from the bullet-like wounds. Keith turns swiftly and sweeps his cape aside with a scowl. The Specter yet breathes, issuing a ragged, gasping rasp, his blood pooling in the rain-sodden grass.

Something teases at Keith’s consciousness again and his cosmo flares brighter still.

A single word.

_Antares._

It licks at his mind like tongues of flame.

_Antares._

The heart of the scorpion.

_Antares._

He whispers it back, and finds that it settles upon his lips with ease. He draws back his arm and lunges toward the Specter once more, piercing him through the heart with the toxic heat of the great red star.

_Antares._

***

Keith pulls his cape clear of the large oaken doors of the Pope’s chambers as they swing shut behind him. His post-mission report went well, but there are still tasks he needs to take care of.

A light breeze tousles his hair this high up in the sanctuary, and it smells of flowers. The long-untended Pisces rose garden has grown rampant without its caretaker, but now only their thorns guard the steps, their poisonous aroma long gone. Still, Keith steps lightly through the delicate blooms on his way down.

Matt is nowhere to be seen in the Aquarius house and Keith passes through quickly. It’s odd for the bookish Saint to be out of his house, and he wonders if Matt has gone to see Shiro as well. The Capricorn house is empty, as usual, and Keith feels the Sagittarius Saint’s gentle cosmo well before he sets foot in the next house. Something seems off about it though.

“Shiro?” he calls. His voice echoes against the cool stone walls. Something echoes back from inside, and soon Shiro appears on the back steps.

“Ah, good to see you back in one piece, Keith,” Shiro smiles.

Keith nods, ascending the steps, “I hear you’re heading out on a mission soon?”

Shiro drops his gaze to the ground, “Yeah. Pope Coran asked me to do a scouting mission near Heinstein Castle. Needless to say, I have my concerns.”

Keith frowns. Heinstein Castle was Hades’ base of operations over 200 years ago. It makes sense that the Pope wants to keep an eye on it, but…

“Why go alone?” Keith asks.

“Matt’s taking some apprentices up to Siberia in a week for training, and Hunk isn’t experienced enough yet. That would leave you, but again, since Hunk is inexperienced, you’ll need to remain here.”

Keith hums in agreement. He recalls having met the new Taurus Saint only briefly, but wasn’t present for the knighting ceremony.

“How’d your mission go, by the way? Lady Athena said she felt your cosmo expand greatly a few days ago.”

Keith smiles. Shiro, as the most senior of the Gold Saints, meets with Athena and Pope Coran frequently to discuss tactics and general goings-on.

“I guess you could say that. Do you remember that lecture you gave me a while back?”

“About patience?” Shiro asks.

Keith shakes his head, “No, about the Gold cloths.”

Shiro’s eyes widen, “Did you unlock the seventh sense?” They both know, as do most other Saints, about the Saint’s sixth sense of intuition, but to go beyond that, to have an awareness of one’s own cosmo, is a level only attainable by the Gold Saints.

Keith raises his hand to eye level and splays his fingers, showing off the long red needle that he can summon on his index finger.

Shiro’s brow furrows, “That looks deadly. What does it do?”

Keith lowers his hand, retracting the needle. “I’m not exactly sure. It acts something like a lightspeed gun. There’s fourteen hits, and a final shot, Antares, pierces the heart.

“So it aligns with your constellation? Interesting.”

“I think it may also be toxic.”

Shiro blinks, “What?”

“I don’t know, it’s just a hunch, really. The Specter I fought reacted like he’d been stung.”

“I see. Any luck with what the Pope taught you?”

Keith nods, remembering the telepathic technique he’d learned, “Yes, actually. It’s a sort of paralysis. Came in handy.”

“That’s good to hear,” Shiro lays a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “The Sanctuary will be in good hands while Matt and I are gone.”

Keith smiles in response, but is interrupted by a yawn, and brings a hand to his mouth chidingly, “Sorry, I must be more worn out than I thought.”

Shiro chuckles and waves him off, “It’s fine. You should head back to the Scorpio house and get some rest.”

Keith smiles and steps into the hallway, but turns to Shiro before leaving, “Good luck at Heinstein Castle.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I shall hereby abide be the law that all Scorpio Saints are Extremely Extra. Dramatic cape flaps? Of course.
> 
> [Here's what Keith's attack looks like](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7aey5pIVCU)  
>  _cries due to lack of good footage_ this is from one of the games.


	4. News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt returns from a trip with his apprentices to hear some less than favorable news.

Matt sucks in a deep breath of warm Mediterranean air as he hoists the golden Aquarius Pandora’s box onto his shoulders. Five weeks in the crisp, cold Siberian icefields makes the small town of Rodorio a welcome sight that evening as he and the six apprentices he’d taken along return to the Sanctuary. 

He now watches as four of them pick up their bags and head to their cabins to turn in for the night—they’ll have the next two days off to relax from the trip. The last two sport the masks that mark them as female saints, and are still putting their traveling gear away as they chat quietly nearby. Matt hasn’t seen the brown-haired girl, Pidge he thinks, around the other apprentices very often, so it’s good to see her getting along with her roommate. Saints work best when they have friends, after all.

Tossing her bag over her shoulder, the taller girl waves goodbye and turns to go, leaving the other to finish up. Matt shifts his Pandora’s box, deciding to wait until she finishes up before heading back to the Aquarius house. Just then, however, a sharp crack accompanied by a loud thud from behind issues a rush of air that sends Matt’s tailcoat into a fluttering frenzy. The girl’s eyes widen, but Matt hardly notices as he spins aggressively on his heels to face whoever, or whatever, had appeared so suddenly.

To the Aquarius Saint’s surprise, however, another golden knight rises from the newly-formed crater in the cracked earth about ten feet off, flicking his cape, adding to the swirl of dust that is starting to settle. It’s none other than Keith, the Scorpio Saint. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Matt smirks, relaxing his shoulders.

Keith shakes his head, “Not important.” He strides forward and prods Matt in the chest with a crimson needle, “Pope told me to drag you up as soon as you got back. Shiro’s missing,” he says bluntly.

Matt’s grip on the straps of his Pandora’s box tighten, knuckles turning white, “What?”

Keith huffs and rocks back on his heels, “Exactly what I said, now come on, I’ve been waiting all week.”

Matt blanches and adjusts his grip, “ _All week?_ ”

“I’m not repeating myself. Get someone to drop your stuff off and come with me,” Keith grumbles, snatching his cape as he stalks off towards the stairs.

_So impatient._ Matt frowns and turns around, hoping to see the apprentice from earlier. She is still there, oddly enough, and gawking to boot.

“Pidge, right?” he calls. The girl takes a moment to respond, but nods vigorously and shifts the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

“Yes, sir?” she stammers awkwardly.

Matt cringes inwardly. That’s the one thing he still hasn't gotten used to as a Gold Saint.

“Do me a favor and take my bag to the Aquarius house. You can leave it on the steps. We’ll escort you to the Taurus house as it’s on the way.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hey, hurry up, idiots!” Keith calls distantly.

Matt rolls his eyes, “Yes, I’m sorry for doing what you told me to do,” he snarks, stooping to pick up his bag and deposit it in the girl’s arms. _Pidge’s arms,_ he reminds himself. What an odd name for a girl. He’ll never remember that.

“Don’t lose it,” he grins, then turns and chases after Keith.

The Scorpio Saint stands at the foot of the stairs, arms crossed irritably as Matt approaches with Pidge in tow. Keith gestures for Matt to follow him before jumping a few steps ahead, putting some distance between them and the apprentice.

Matt follows, throwing a glance over his shoulder at her, “Why so much distance?” he questions.

“Out of earshot,” Keith pauses, “Listen, Shiro was due back over a week ago, and that’s with obstacles factored in. Lady Athena says she can still feel his cosmo, but it’s faint…”

Below them, Katie struggles to climb the steps under the weight of Matt’s bags added to her own, and strains her ears to hear the conversation. Keith’s tone back at the entrance had been grave, but she can’t glean anything much of their conversation now over the sound of her heavy breathing. If Specters decide to attack the Sanctuary, Katie hopes they take the stairs.

The Gold Saints pause at the entrance to the Aries house just long enough to allow Katie to catch her breath, stopping in their conversation to do so. Now approaching the Taurus house, Katie follows a foot or two closer, catching snippets of what’s being said. At best, she could piece together that someone’s leaving. 

Dropping her gaze to the ground, Katie trudges up the steps and works to keep pace. If both of them have to leave though, Hunk will be alone on the Sanctuary steps. She glances up at the Taurus house as it grows larger before them. A glint of gold at the top of the steps draws her eye; it’s Hunk, likely watching them approach with a smile. Despite his new status, Hunk is a good friend, and makes sure to stop by to visit her and Lance whenever he has the chance—usually with cookies or sandwiches and a hug.

Hunk waves to the three of them as they mount the last step to the entrance of his house.

“Hey guys, Matt, Keith, Pidge,” Hunk smiles, nodding to each.

Keith throws Pidge a cursory glance at the mention of her name. _Unusual._

“Glad to see you back, Matt. How was the trip?” Hunk asks.

“Quite well, actually. I think Pidge benefited from it the most,” Matt gestures toward the girl in question.

“Ah, nice. Is that why you two and Shiro are gone so often? Missions and such?”

Keith shrugs. “In a sense. You’ll have your own tasks soon enough,” he says, crossing his arms, “By the way, we’re here on summons from the Pope—Matt and I, I mean. Do you mind if we pass through?”

Hunk shakes his head, “Nope, go on ahead. Ah, what about Pidge though?”

Matt places a hand on Pidge’s shoulder, “She’s taking my bag up to the Aquarius house on orders from Keith. He’s feeling rather impatient today.”

Keith's brow darkens and he scowls at the Aquarius Saint.

Hunk rolls his eyes, “Isn’t that normal for Keith?”

Matt feigns a look of shock, “You’re right! How could I forget?”

Keith grumbles, “Whatever, guys. We have things to do.”

Matt chuckles and steps away from Pidge, “Hunk, if you don’t mind, would you escort Pidge to the Aquarius house?”

“Of course, see you guys later,” Hunk smiles warmly.

Matt waves back at Hunk and Pidge and moves to walk beside Keith, who has already stalked off into the Taurus house. He punches the Scorpio Saint playfully in the shoulder and grins.

“Hey man, cool off a little.”

Keith brushes him off and groans, “ _Enough_ with the ice puns. Aren’t you concerned?”

Matt frowns, “Of course I am, Shiro’s my friend. I know he’s your brother and you ought to be frustrated right now, but being a grouch won’t fix things.”

Keith huffs and they walk in silence for a while, golden boots clicking against the stone steps. Overhead, the first stars of twilight are starting to prick the darkened sky.

“...That girl’s name is Pidge?” Keith asks, suddenly.

Matt blinks, “Yeah, why?”

“It’s... odd.”

“I would agree. She fought you once, you know.”

Keith looks at him quizzically, “When?”

Matt makes a face, “About… two years ago? Maybe a little more? That sounds right. You decked her, hard.”

Keith’s eyes widen in recognition, “Oh, I remember now. It was like she’d seen a ghost. Just… froze up.”

“Strange,” Matt hums.

Keith nods, and, a few steps later, the two slip into lightspeed. Arriving at the door to the Pope’s chambers near-immediately, he presses against the solid oaken panels and steps inside with Matt. 

Pope Coran sits at the end of the hall in a large stone chair backed by tall velvet curtains. He rises as the Saints cross the room and beckons them to follow him into the small room behind the curtains. It smells vaguely of lavender, and the sconces on the walls throw a warm light on the floor. 

“I’m pleased you’ve returned, Matt,” Coran says, taking off his cobalt blue mask with a kind smile. He gestures for the boys to remove their helms and moves towards the partition in the back of the room.  
“I trust you had a successful trip?” he asks.

“Yes, some of the apprentices are showing promise,” Matt smiles a little.

“That’s good to hear,” Coran nods, kneeling on a small cushion as he motions for Matt and Keith to sit next to him. Once seated, with their golden helms resting on the cool stone beside them, Coran speaks up again.

“Lady Athena, we’re ready when you are,” he announces gently.

From behind the partition comes a warm, feminine voice, “Thank you, Coran.”

Coran smiles, “I don’t suppose you’d like to start us off?”

“Of course,” Athena pauses, “Keith, what all have you told Matt?”

Keith levels his gaze at the floor, “Just what you already told me, though a bit watered down.”

Athena hums, “Excellent. So, as you three know, Shiro is missing. I felt his cosmo waning drastically over a week ago, but in the past few days it’s stopped moving.”

Hearing the new development, Keith pales as Matt shoots him a concerned look.

“Is he still near Heinstein castle, do you think?” Matt asks, recalling Shiro’s mission.

“I cannot be sure. Even I have no way of knowing a Saint’s exact location. That is why I want to organize a search and rescue mission. I fear Shiro may be in need of our assistance,” Athena says quietly.

Keith frowns, “I’ll go.”

Coran raises an inquiring eyebrow at the Scorpio Saint.

“Are you certain, Keith? Perhaps… hmm,” Athena falls silent.

“He’s my brother, Lady Athena. I have to. _Please,_ ” Keith’s hand curls into a fist at his side.

The Pope eyes him patiently. Keith is shaking now, so tense with anticipation.

Glancing across at his friend, Matt sighs internally, “I’ll go too.”

Coran looks at Matt incredulously, “But you’ve just returned yourself, shouldn’t you rest?”

Matt shakes his head, “I’m only a bit travel-weary. I’ll get a good night’s sleep and we’ll leave tomorrow.”

Keith is staring at him a little slack-jawed, but Matt ignores it, instead addressing Athena.

“If you’ll give us permission Lady Athena, I can make arrangements tomorrow morning. We can be on the road before noon,” he adds.

Coran clears his throat, “I believe it’s as good a plan as any. We can’t do much more tonight, anyway.”

“Yes, I suppose so,” Athena says softly. Then, more resolutely, “Very well. Coran, if you’ll prepare a map of the area with Shiro’s route marked out?”

“Of course,” Coran nods.

“You may be dismissed, then. Get some good rest, boys.”

Keith and Matt smile softly. “Yes, Lady Athena,” they chorus, rising to their feet before collecting their helms and following the Pope from the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Hunk's Armor](http://static2.minitokyo.net/view/12/00/725012.jpg)


	5. Misty Mountains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt and Keith set off to search for Shiro, but a distant cosmo raises some concerns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you believe me if I told you I wrote this prior to Pidge finding Matt in the show? Like, we had very little idea of what his personality would be like and I somehow managed to get it right(or at least, I think so, haha). Absolute dork.   
> (The Aquarius Saint has ice powers, hence all the puns)

Early morning light glints off Keith and Matt’s armor as they put the town of Rodorio behind them, feet chilled by dew on the grass along the road. Storm clouds brew on the distant horizon, separated from the two Saints by green carpeted mountains. A salty breeze from the Mediterranean hangs in the Grecian air, blowing to the north. To Heinstein Castle.

Ahead of them, the dusty road dwindles off into a forest. It’s still dark under the canopy, and Matt shifts his weight uncomfortably. A foreboding feeling digs a pit in his stomach as they consult Coran’s map. Keith raises his eyes from the document and gives him a questioning look.

Matt sighs and peers into the trees. “Suppose this doesn’t go well…” he trails off, gesturing vaguely towards their destination. “Then what?”

Keith follows the Aquarius Saint’s gaze in silence, considering his question. “Well, Hades wins and the world is doomed. So,” he pauses, shuffling the map together, and points it into the forest, “Let’s not let that happen.”

“You make it sound so simple,” Matt says drily. He snatches the map from Keith’s hand and stuffs it into his rucksack.

“Whatever. Quit worrying or we’ll never find Shiro,” Keith stomps off ahead, into the forest.

Matt rolls his eyes and falls into step beside his friend, noting how quickly the ground underfoot becomes soft. Early autumn leaves are beginning to coat the forest floor, cushioning the road and brushing softly against the gold of their armored boots as the two Saints trek into the depths of the forest. The silence in the trees goes unnoticed.

***

Fog rolls by in waves up to Keith’s elbows in the early morning as he and Matt hike through a chilly Alpine pass. They’ve had an unsuccessful three and a half weeks, with no sign of Shiro, or Specters for that matter, anywhere. It’s unusual, given their proximity to Heinstein castle, and it’s beginning to set the Saints on edge. Of course the dense fog, which shrouds everything beyond a few feet in any direction in a thick white mist, isn’t helping either.

“Hey, Keith?” Matt calls.

“Yeah?” Keith stops and turns, the sound of his feet crunching on the gravel path fading.

“Might not be a bad idea to stop for water sometime soon. Maybe restock too, if we can.”

Keith pulls out their map, studying it. “There’s a clearing just beyond the pass, though I can’t speak to any water sources.”

Matt breathes a sigh of relief, “Thank Athena, I’m parched.”

Keith folds up the map and swats Matt in the head before tucking it away, “We’re in the middle of nowhere, quit being such a nerd.”

Matt frowns and mutters something incoherent, stalking off ahead of Keith, who follows a few steps behind. There’s a chill in the air and the path dips in and out of the fog as they work their way down the other side of the pass. When they finally step out of the fog and into a small clearing, Matt moves to a large rock by the edge of the trees and sits down to uncap his water bottle with a yawn. He and Keith had made a habit of waking up with the sun every morning to make the most of what daylight there was to be had between the craggy peaks of the Alpine foothills. Neither of them are fond of the arrangement, but it works.

Keith stands in the center of the clearing and peers up through the gap in the canopy, noting the pale grey hue of the overcast sky despite sunrise having been hours ago. This level of humidity is unusual, and he feels a strange sense of caution well up. Keith frowns and glances around the clearing, but dismisses the feeling as he catches sight of Matt laying back on his rock.

“Hey, Mr. Water Bearer, if you’re so parched why don’t you go find some water rather than lying about? I can hear a brook nearby,” Keith chides.

Matt pulls himself upright and fixes the Scorpio Saint with a hard glare, “Don’t call me that.”

Keith slings his rucksack off his shoulder and digs through it, looking for his bag of trail mix, grumbling, “Fine, Ice King.”

Matt rolls his eyes and slips off the rock, leaving his bag and heading towards the sound of water with their bottles in hand. He isn’t gone long, and hands a water bottle to Keith upon returning to the clearing. A sudden clap of thunder nearby echoes off the mountainside and the two Saints turn their eyes skyward. Dark clouds are amassing overhead, and a flash of lightning lights up a cloud not far off from within.

Keith lets out a small cry and rubs at a drop of water on his nose, annoyed.

Matt raises a brow. “What was th—oh. It’s raining,” he says, wiping a raindrop off his cheek with his thumb.

“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” Keith retorts, glancing around the clearing as more rain falls, plastering his dark hair to his forehead. Picking a seemingly dry spot, he motions for Matt to follow him as he moves to a large tree. They sit down and lean against the tree trunk, watching the forest around them as the quiet rush of water grows stronger.

“Do you think it best to wait out the weather?” Matt asks, setting his bag aside.

Keith glances across the clearing thoughtfully. “Maybe,” he picks a dry leaf from the ground and twirls it absently between his fingers. “If it’s longer than a half hour we’ll pick up and go.”

Matt nods and sits back, eyes scanning the shadowed trees. 

The quiet patter of rain fills the silence in the forest. 

“Say… you don’t suppose it’s gotten mistier since it started raining?”

Blinking, Keith turns his gaze around the area, “I guess? It does seem to be a bit colder.”

Something about it makes him uneasy.

“That’s what I thought,” Matt says, eyes narrowed. He gets into a crouch and creeps around the backside of the tree until he can see where the path ahead disappears into the forest, eyeing the road suspiciously.

Keith tosses him a skeptical look, “What are you doing?”

Matt’s brows knit as he sits back against the tree again, “I thought I felt… a cosmo.” The Aquarius Saints are known to be much more attuned to the minute workings of cosmo than the other Golds.

Keith frowns, “Friend or foe?”

“Not sure. It was very faint, and now it’s gone.”

Keith grunts and turns his attention to the water dripping off the leaves of the tree, “Do you think it was Shiro?” Even if it is, it sets him on edge. The mist creeping in on them isn’t the most reassuring either.

Matt stands and brushes off his pants, moving around the tree to collect his bag. He stands behind Keith, eyes trained on the dim path through the forest.

“The only other thing it could be is a Specter,” Matt pauses and looks at Keith. “You haven’t used your cosmo lately, have you?”

Keith shakes his head, “No.”

“Not even for that fire a week ago?”

“We lit that under a tree and it still went out, you idiot. No, I didn’t use my cosmo for that, it’d have been a waste,” Keith retorts, recalling the torrential downpour they’d waded through previously.

“Okay, chill,” Matt assuages.

Keith groans.

“Not sorry. Can you get the map out?”

Keith complies, silently digging through his pack for the document. He stands and hands it off to Matt, who takes it and spreads it against the dry side of the tree. Small icicles hold it in place while his eyes search for their location.

“We’re here,” Matt announces, jabbing a finger to a point on the map. “And I felt the cosmo somewhere over… here.”

Keith’s gaze follows Matt’s other hand to a wooded area about half a day’s walk north, past a fork in the road. “That’s on Shiro’s route,” he notes.

“Shouldn’t he be past that point by now, though?” Matt puzzles.

“Not if he came back the same way.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Matt hums in thought.

“That could mean he was pursued.”

“If that’s the case, then, more importantly, there may still be Specters in the area...”

“Or it is a Specter and it might be a trap,” Keith grimaces.

“But what if it is Shiro? Keith, this is the closest thing to a clue we’ve had all month.”

“If it is Shiro, there’s definitely a Specter somewhere. The only way to explain his delay is an attack, and if he got away, you know they’re looking for him,” Keith frowns.

“We need a plan,” Matt starts. “The fork is a problem though…”

Keith leans towards the map. “Well… If we get closer, we might be able to sense whatever cosmo you felt.”

“And then determine which way to go from there?”

Keith nods, “If we figure out which road it’s coming from, we can work our way around and scout out the area.”

“That way if there’s a Specter nearby, we’re more likely to see it before it sees us.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Keith grins.

Matt takes the map from the tree and folds it, handing it to Keith. “I doubt the rain will let up anytime soon, so we might as well start now.”

Keith shrugs and swings his bag over his shoulder, tucking the map away. “Let’s go then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am excited to post the next chapters hrngggg. Gotta wait another month tho ;)


	6. Gold Dust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Matt find themselves locked in a tough battle with Specters while searching for Shiro. Things don't go as planned, and Keith makes a discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been excited to post this chapter for a while now :D (and the new tag ;) )
> 
> A quickie note before you dive in: Specters have weird names. They have a star title that's basically their rank, then their equivalent of a constellation, and then their name. Sometimes the constellation equivalent makes sense in regards to their abilities, and other times it doesn't. I used some of the Galra officers' names for the Specters in this chapter, but they're not really... uh, prominent enough to warrant tagging them, I think.
> 
> Also, welcome to the part where Saints & their enemies announce their titles before a fight.

“Heads up!” Keith shouts, ducking quickly as an attack zips by his head. A _Scarlet Needle_ in retaliation pierces his opponent’s shin, buying the Scorpio Saint enough time to jump out of range. Somewhere behind him he can hear the cracking of rock, likely the result of the blast, following one of Matt’s freezing _Aurora Executions._

They’re in the midst of a hazy, two-on-two battle at a fork in the road, unable to see much farther than an arm’s length in any direction. Keith and Matt had followed their planned route without incident until the fog suddenly thickened around them a short distance from a cliff, and they were ambushed by Specters.

Exactly what they had planned to avoid.

Matt, heeding Keith’s warning, steps back as his enemy draws near with a yell and takes the blast instead. The Specter crashes into the rock face beside him with a pained grunt, the resulting crack sounding through the fog-filled clearing. Stepping away from the Specter, Matt brings his arms up over his head to deliver the chilling blast of his _Aurora Execution._ The attack leaves his opponent frozen to the rock, vulnerable to further assault, and the Aquarius Saint takes the opportunity to land a number of light-speed blows with his fists. Sparkling, the ice shatters under the stress and the Specter collapses, dead at his feet. 

Matt turns away with disinterest, his cape following through with a sweeping motion as he trains his eyes on the bright red flashes coming from the dense fog. The raspy taunts of Keith’s opponent can be heard in between blasts and the Scorpio Saint’s own furied yells. A glance behind him assures Matt that the Specter is indeed down, and he crosses the clearing, hoping to go unnoticed. 

His walk comes to an abrupt halt when Keith’s body slams into his side, bowling the two Gold Saints to the ground in a heap of limbs. Keith grumbles as he rolls over and sits up, cracking his neck as he stands and pulls Matt to his feet. Matt brushes himself off quickly, hands moving to adjust the golden helm on his head.

“Wasn’t quite fast enough,” Keith apologizes, brows knitting.

Matt waves him off, mouth opening to speak when a sharp, barking laugh rings out through the fog.

“Pretty little Saints of _Athena_ think they can defeat _me?”_ taunts a raspy voice. It hovers somewhere between the Saints and the cliffs dividing the road, drawing them back-to-back defensively as the echo dwindles and falls silent.

“ _Boo,_ ” rasps the Specter, just above their heads. Keith and Matt jump back in alarm, turning their gaze towards the source of the voice. Clad in the armor of a dull greenish-black surplice, the Specter stands arrogantly atop a large rock that is now visible through wisps of thinning fog. 

Matt frowns, “And who, pray tell, are you?”

The Specter’s face darkens, “I am the _Terrestrial Dark Star_ of the Deep surplice, Prorok! And you,” he shudders with contained laughter, “you are as good as dead.”

Keith grinds his teeth. “Don’t be so sure!” he snarls, leaping from his place on the ground, cosmo blazing. Matt gives chase as well, following the flashing attacks as the fog closes in once again. Fighting alongside Keith would go against the Saints’ code of honor, so he turns his attention to monitoring Prorok’s dark cosmo in an effort to warn his friend of impending attacks instead. He doesn’t expect there to be another cosmo.

It catches him by surprise as he watches Keith flash around the area in bursts of light-speed, his fiery cosmo exploding dramatically every time. So when the grim presence appears that reeks of death and sends shivers down his spine, he turns with wide eyes to see his earlier opponent back on his feet. The Specter stands crookedly, his mask cracked to reveal a bloodied eye, the thick red liquid dripping from the gashes in his face. It oozes through the cracks all over the Specter’s surplice and Matt stepps back defensively, beginning to cool the air around him almost by instinct.

“You should be dead,” he spits angrily.

“Should I? _Lord Hades disagrees,_ ” a wicked grin pulls at the corner of the Specter’s eye. “I am the Terrestrial Shadow Star, Dullahan Haxus, and Specters _cannot die._ ”

Matt pales. If Specters can’t die, he and Keith won’t be going anywhere soon. He needs to think of a plan, and _fast._

The cold air has a bite to it now.

Composing himself, Matt addresses the Specter, “I am Gold Saint Aquarius Matthew; we shall see who bests who.” His cosmo flares, and the temperature around them plummets to absolute zero, throwing up a dense cloud of fog. 

***

Fourteen bloody holes pepper the body at Keith’s feet as he steps back, chest heaving for air. His enemy lays senseless and paralyzed in a pool of his own blood and the remnants of his shattered surplice. At some point during their renewed fight, Matt’s cosmo had brushed with Keith’s, warning him against outright killing the Specters. Keith trusts Matt’s judgement enough to comply, but finds it odd. _Come to think of it,_ Keith glances at the pine trees along the road, _where is Matt?_

Frowning, Keith closes his eyes and burns his cosmo, reaching out and taking a deep breath as he searches for the Aquarius Saint’s signature aura. One minute passes, then two; nothing. Keith opens his eyes. Had he really strayed that far from the fork in the road? He turns his gaze upward and traces the edge of the cliffs against the sky in search of something familiar, but his attention earlier was solely focused on his enemy, and he finds little help in the wall of rock. With a frustrated sigh, Keith turns towards the way he thought he’d come in hopes of finding his way back with instinct as his guide. He needs to move quickly if he wants to find Matt soon.

After two hours of walking Keith realizes with chagrin that he’s left behind his bag, his map and food supply still inside. Retrieving it is impossible; he hasn’t a clue where he is, nor can he find his way back if he tried. The road had split three times as it wound down the mountain, and any chance he had of navigating it had been left with the map. Only the Aquarius Saint or the Pope, with the knowledge of the stars, can find the way back now. And he’d gone and lost the one he had with him.

Keith moves to a mossy tree stump and sits irritably, resting his chin in his hand. He could search with his cosmo again, but he’s much too far away to get a good sense of anything. Instead, he opts to sit and listen, extending his sixth sense into the forest at his back. If nothing else, he might be able to detect a source of water.

So he sits, until an explosion of cosmo hits him like a suckerpunch to the stomach and he jolts to his feet, heart racing as he feels for the source. Cold and death, light and dark, and some mixture of anger and disgust wash over him in an instant, tearing a gasp from his lungs and leaving Keith momentarily numb. His eyes, wide in alarm, track the glittering silver path of a falling star as it shoots across the evening sky and fades into the horizon. 

Death in a flash of beauty.

Keith frowns to himself as the faint cosmo peters out. He won’t know what had happened until he returns to the Sanctuary, or stumbles across the carnage himself. And he still needs to find Shiro, that is… if Shiro is still alive. The Scorpio Saint shakes his head at the thought; he doesn’t want to believe either of his friends are dead until he sees it for himself. A stern look crosses his features as he steels his resolve.

“By Athena, I’ll find them,” Keith swears in a hushed voice. The words come raspy from his parched throat, a harsh reminder that he still needs to find water.

The thought occurs to him that the Sagittarius Saint might have gone in search of water himself, and Keith, having located a stream in the moments before he felt the explosion, turns abruptly toward the forest. Glancing at the pines he determines that he can mark a path so if the trek proves fruitless, he’ll be able to return to the road. With a plan in place he sets off, moving quickly through the underbrush in the twilight.

It’s well past midnight when he finally reaches the stream, the crescent moon glinting off the water’s surface as Keith kneels down, exhausted. Cupping the cold water with his hands, he drinks until a faint glimmer catches his eye and draws his attention. Floating swiftly down the stream is a single, delicate golden feather. It tumbles over the rocks and swirls in the current, flowing toward him until it comes to rest, sparkling, in his palm. 

Keith rises to his feet slowly, closing his fist around the dainty feather as he shuts his eyes and expands his cosmo into the forest. The warm, flickering spark of cosmo in the feather is familiar and he latches onto it in a furor with a flare of hope. Quickly, he quashes the feeling before it can flood his senses and his eyes flash open, his sixth sense tracing a fading trail of gold dust through the frigid water.

Keith allows himself a small smile, “Gotcha.”

***

Keith squints painfully at the golden blaze on the horizon in the early morning, his hands pressed to his forehead in an attempt to shield his eyes from the sun. He plucks the golden feather from his mouth and curses irritably at the mountains for deluding his sense of time by hiding the sun. He hasn’t slept since finding the feather, instead picking his way through the rocky bank as he moves upstream. Now, that he has the feather, he can sense a faint cosmo farther ahead. It serves as a beacon, pulling him closer each step of the way.

Tired as he is, Keith presses on. On occasion he stops to breathe in the wake of a brief coughing fit, but the air grows thinner as he follows the stream’s path up the mountain; the elevation is higher now than anything he and Matt had passed through previously. Hunger gnaws at his insides but he refuses to waste time looking for food when he is _so close._ If Shiro had kept himself alive the entire time Matt and Keith had been searching, he had to be eating something, and Keith can make do with whatever that happens to be. But he has to get there first.

By noon he moves to walk under the shade of the trees along the stream as it becomes narrower and the sun rises high overhead. He can feel Shiro’s cosmo now, as warm as it had been the day Keith saw him last, but it’s missing something. It’s smaller than normal, though that’s to be expected, but it feels incomplete, like a chunk had been taken out of it. Keith wonders if he’s close enough for Shiro to hear him.

“Shiro?” he calls, stopping to listen. No response; he walks on for a while before he tries again, taking a deep breath this time. Then he listens. Wash, rinse, repeat until he falls into a fit of coughing mid-breath and sinks to his knees to wait it out. The cold mountain air sucks his breath away and so he sits, listening as the air returns to his lungs.

And then he hears something. A little distant, as if caught on the breeze, but it grabs his attention and he scrambles to his feet.

Carefully, Keith takes another deep breath, “Shiro?” he hollers, his voice echoing through the trees. He runs a little ways upstream and stops to listen again, chest heaving for air. Again, he hears something, stronger now, almost like a voice. It comes from farther upstream, and if he strains his ears enough, he might be hearing his own name, he thinks. He breaks into a sprint, eyes darting about the rocks so as to avoid turning an ankle as he moves with renewed energy. A final yell, another response, clearer this time, and he runs without stopping for fear of losing momentum—he doesn’t have enough energy to get going again if he stops. The stream forms a bend and he jumps over it rather than risk slowing down, and then he sees Shiro.

Up ahead, lying just a foot or two from the bank is Shiro, the golden Cloth of Sagittarius shining in the sun. The wings are splayed haphazardly as Shiro leans against a tree, his face lighting up as Keith runs towards him and stops at his feet. Keith’s legs give out and he collapses, grinning as he manages a few ragged breaths before he curls in on himself, lungs racked with raspy coughing that drains the color from his face. His chest burns and Keith squeezes his eyes shut, willing the coughing to stop. Then he feels a warm hand on his shoulder and he gasps in surprise as he is pulled closer to his brother. 

“Sh-Shiro,” he manages in between his haggard breaths.

Shiro smiles softly, “You don’t look so good, kiddo.”

Keith shakes his head, “‘M fine. Just need,” he takes a deep breath, “just need sleep,” he pauses, “and food.”

Shiro nods solemnly and pushes himself up against his tree more, with noticeable difficulty. Keith’s eyes dart around his brother from his position on the ground, searching for something. Then he spots the reason Shiro’s cosmo had seemed off. A good two thirds of Shiro’s right arm is discolored, and warped in a way that seems humanly impossible. Another wound, a large gash in his leg, is likely the cause for the lack of motion that alarmed Athena so much, but it hardly holds Keith’s attention for long.

Keith pulls himself into a sitting position, eyes locked on the damaged limb. “Shiro…”

The Sagittarius Saint gives him a wan smile, “It’ll be okay.”

“It hurts, doesn’t it?” Keith frowns. With such extensive damage, he can only imagine how it feels.

“It gets easier, but yeah. I did what I could when it was still fresh, but it’s set this way now.”

“Oh,” was all Keith says, brows furrowing as his hands curl into fists on his knees. He rises, feet crunching on the gravel as he moves to sit down closer to the stream, back facing Shiro. 

“I’m sorry,” Keith says softly after a while.

“What? Why?”

“When you didn’t come back on time, we waited a few days, in part because we hoped you’d just been delayed, but also because Matt wasn’t back from Siberia yet. Pope Coran wanted to get Matt’s opinion on the situation… I think he may have been hoping he’d run into you on the way back,” Keith pauses and shifts so he can see Shiro. “Then Lady Athena felt your cosmo dwindling. I should’ve asked her to let me go then, I might’ve gotten to you sooner.” In truth, he’d been sorely tempted to forgo that option and leave anyway, but Coran seemed to have suspected this and had offhandedly reminded him of the consequences of doing so.

Shiro sighs and slides down the bank beside Keith with a pained grunt, wrapping a golden wing around him in a hug. “You know, as much as I’d like to say it’s going to be okay, I think we’re both aware that’s not the case. We’re fighting a war now, and things are going to get worse before they get better.” Shiro pauses, bumping shoulders with Keith reassuringly, “Try not to beat yourself up over too much, or you’ll damage yourself more than the enemy could ever hope to do.”

Keith nods slowly. He feels numb, eyes trained on the stream as he swallows away the knot in his throat, “What about Matt?”

Shiro blinks and searches the vacant look on Keith’s face, perplexed, “What about him?”

“I lost him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shiro's back! But where's Matt?
> 
> Exciting things are brewing. You might start to see a _theme_ show up on occasion, hohoho. ~~Every time I think of this chapter the Jaws theme plays.~~
> 
> Let me know what you guys think!


	7. Fallen Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Shiro return to a melancholic Sanctuary, with Athena waiting for them on the terraces.
> 
> Weeks before, Pidge receives some unfavorable news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy >:3

Keith dreads the upcoming reception upon returning to the Sanctuary as he and Shiro are jostled along in the back of a villager’s hay wagon. They’d been walking for two weeks when they met with a farmer from Rodorio returning from a nearby village. His wagon being empty save for the hay that served as padding, the farmer had been insistent that they ride with him the rest of the way to Rodorio.

And so the two Saints find themselves for the last 30 miles of their journey, wooden wheels creaking underneath them. Keith likes how the region surrounding the Sanctuary hasn’t lost touch with its origins despite the modern age. It’s refreshing, and he had been surprised at how quickly he adjusted when he first arrived as an apprentice three years ago. There are still some days, though, where air conditioning is sorely missed by everyone in the Sanctuary.

Hearing voices up ahead, Keith cranes his neck around to see, and shrinks back when he catches sight of the village gates. The farmer had stopped at a cottage earlier and sent someone on horseback ahead of them as a messenger to the Sanctuary. Keith had thought a messenger unnecessary, but Shiro had cut in with his approval before he could say anything, stating that “it isn’t everyday the villagers get to help a Saint.” Another glance at the gate reveals a growing crowd, and Keith turns back to scowl at the road with a huff. He really doesn’t like all the attention that comes with being a Saint.

Shiro chuckles and leans his good arm on the wagon’s edge, “Just relax, Keith. You don’t have to smile but at least don’t look so sour.”

Keith rolls his eyes and sits up a little straighter as they near the gate, throwing an indignant “Fine,” at his brother for good measure.

At least, that’s what he intended to do. Instead he finds himself hacking up a lung, a coughing fit catching him by surprise as they pass through the gate and into the crowd of curious villagers. It isn’t the first time it happened since he and Shiro started back towards the Sanctuary, and Keith figures he’d caught a cold when he’d pushed himself so much after being separated from Matt. He’d made a rash decision and now he’s suffering for it. 

Nevertheless, Shiro has a firm hand on his shoulder, keeping him from falling out of the wagon as he fights for air. At some point a tankard of water was pressed into his hand, and now Keith drains its contents quickly, hoping to clear his sore throat with the cool liquid. Shiro takes the tankard from him and passes it off to someone Keith can’t see with a warm “thank you” as he sits upright again, sucking in quick, starved breaths. 

“You good?” Shiro asks, concern written on his face.

Keith nods and lays back in the wagon with a sigh, “I need to sleep in my bed again.”

Shiro smiles a bit, “Can’t argue with that.”

Bits of hay scratch at Keith’s scalp as the wagon rattles through town, but he chooses to ignore it and tries to get some rest. If the farmer intends to drop them off at the Sanctuary, they still have a bit of a ride ahead of them.

“Keith, wake up,” Shiro says after some time, shaking his shoulder lightly.

Keith blinks blearily and sits up, combing bits of hay from his hair with his fingers. Looking over his shoulder, he can see the entrance to the Sanctuary, and beyond it the Path of the Twelve Houses winding its way skyward on the other side of the mountain. Out of habit, Keith scans the Houses for Athena’s cosmo with his own, momentarily alarmed when he can’t sense her there. Almost immediately she responds with a wave of her comforting, golden cosmo, likely picking up on his distress, but what surprises him is how close her cosmo is. He turns towards the Sanctuary again, sixth sense searching the lower steps until he sees her golden aura on one of the lower terraces.

Keith blinks, vision returning to normal, “Lady Athena’s come to meet us.”

Shiro frowns, but makes no comment as the wagon slows to a halt. He and Keith slide off the back and walk around to thank the farmer before setting foot into the Sanctuary proper. They cross the main terrace quickly and mount the steps that rise to meet Athena, who waits with a small crowd on the third terrace. Keith is further surprised when Hunk meets them on the second terrace, his face more dour than usual.

“Hey guys,” he calls, the Taurus Saint falling into step a few feet ahead of them. “Lady Athena was pleased to hear of your arrival from the messenger. Things have been… less than cheerful around here these past two weeks.”

A look of concern seeps into both Keith and Shiro’s faces as they hear that.

“Why is that?” Keith asks, starting up the steps behind Hunk. He can imagine Athena’s concern would leak into the rest of the Saints, but something must have happened to have brought down the mood of the entire Sanctuary. Silently, Keith wonders if the explosion of cosmo he’d felt in the forest has something to do with it.

Hunk hums with unease before answering, “Lady Athena should be the one to tell you.”

Keith nods and the three of them are silent for the rest of the way up the steps. The air has a distinct chill to it by the time they reach the third terrace, where Athena waits alongside Pope Coran, Matt’s father, and a handful of other Saints and apprentices. Hunk leads Keith and Shiro to Athena, stepping aside with a quick bow as they draw nearer.

Athena stands tall with a hand on her staff, Nike, and a sad smile on her face as Keith and Shiro kneel before her.

“This is a surprise, Lady Athena,” Shiro comments.

“Rise,” she says softly, continuing once they had. “Recent developments prompted my presence at your return. I welcome the two of you back with a warm, but saddened heart, as I must be the bearer of bad news.”

Keith feels like a lead weight had been dropped in his gut, dreading that his fears have been realized.

Athena breathes in slowly before continuing, “Keith, as you know, you and Matt left on a rescue mission to find Shiro a month ago now, but Matt has not returned.”

Keith’s eyes widen and his body tenses, “Let me go back, I could—”

“Keith,” Athena cuts him off, “Two weeks ago I felt his cosmo disappear in an explosion, and the Aquarius cloth has since returned to its House. You know as well as I what that means.”

A cold breeze blows across the silent terrace as the information sinks in.

Keith’s fists clench and unclench at his sides, “We were attacked by Specters in a dense fog and separated,” he pauses to swallow the knot in his throat. “I saw the shooting star after the explosion, but I—I didn’t know. If I had been faster…”

“You’d have gotten even more lost,” calls a harsh voice.

Keith tears his eyes from the ground to look at the source. Sam, Matt’s father and the former Aquarius Saint, has stepped forward from his place behind Athena. His face is stern, but kind.

“You’d have gotten even more lost, and likely wouldn’t have found Shiro. In fact, all three of you would probably be dead by now. Then where would we be?” he pauses, donning a more solemn expression. “As Saints of Athena we accept the risk that comes with our duty, a duty that, more often than not, ends with our lives. In life, however, part of that duty is carrying on the memory of our fallen allies, and we shall perform this task as faithfully as any other.”

“Aptly put, old friend,” Pope Coran says softly.

“Thank you,” Sam offers a sad, grateful smile as he turns toward Athena and speaks in a hushed voice. “Lady Athena, if you would grant permission, I would like to leave at daybreak to search for my son’s body.”

Athena smiles sadly at the man and places a gentle hand on his shoulder, “Do what you must.”

Sam bows in gratitude, “Thank you, I must go prepare.”

Athena watches him go before bringing her attention back to the newly returned Saints. She moves closer and scans them for injuries, then addresses Shiro first.

“May I see your arm?” she asks, motioning towards it with a hand.

Shiro nods and extends it as much as he can without too much pain. Athena takes his hand gently and closes her eyes, a golden aura radiating from her hand.

Frowning, Athena looks to Shiro’s face, “It’s set this way?”

“Yes,” Shiro says, and explains how it had happened, prompting a grimace from anyone within earshot.

Athena hums and allows Shiro to rest his arm again, “I will contact the Grande Foundation and arrange for your treatment, you may need a surgical procedure.” Silently, the young woman is thankful for her predecessor’s connections and foresight to set up the Sanctuary with access to her family’s facilities. It eases her mind to know that casualties among the Saints can be expertly treated, and quickly. Though…

“And if you’ve any other injuries, head down to the infirmary this evening and get them treated.”

A tired smile crosses Shiro’s face, “Thank you, Lady Athena.”

“My pleasure. Keith?” Athena turns her sharp eyes on the Scorpio Saint.

Keith stiffens, “Yes, Lady Athena?”

“Are you injured at all?” she inquires.

Keith’s brow furrows, “No, I don’t—” he starts, voice trailing off into a rasp. He curses to himself as his throat suddenly seizes up and he falls into another painful coughing fit. Tears prick at the corners of his eyes and his lungs burn as he moves a hand to cover his mouth, still coughing, the color draining from his already pale face. His hand feels strangely wet and he turns his attention on it, eyes widening in alarm at the sight of his red-stained palm, thick blood collecting in the curve of his hand and spilling onto the white stone underfoot.

Keith sinks to the ground, suddenly feeling rather weak as blood pools in his mouth and drips down his chin. Voices off to his side draw his attention, and he notices his vision starting to dim as a short, masked woman with a ponytail approaches Athena, speaking quickly. Gaze dropping to the ground, Keith tries to focus on the cracks in the stone just before billowing white fabric fills his field of vision. Soft hands take firm hold of his head and he blinks in confusion, he can make out a voice, but only just.

“ Keith. K–th, who fo––ht y–u? Y––r en––y?”

Keith struggles to answer what he knows is a question. Someone is asking for a name. 

“Spec–ter?” he asks.

A nod. Someone says yes. Keith closes his eyes, brows knitted as he racks his brain for an answer. His chest feels like it’s a blazing inferno as he coughs again, deep red liquid splattering the white fabric. Something clicks. _Deep…_

“Deep,” he gurgles, “Prorok.”

Another nod. He feels a hand wipe his chin and he shivers at the touch, breath hiccupping before his vision fades to black.

***

_Two weeks prior_

Katie freezes, the cookie in her hand slipping from her grasp, “What?”

Hunk sighs softly, “The Aquarius cloth returned to its House last night. Matt’s dead.”

Pidge feels numb. Absently, she realizes that the excessive amount of cookies Hunk made is likely the result of him stress-cooking upon hearing the news himself, but her focus is elsewhere.

Matt is dead.

Her brother, who thought he’d left her back in the States, is dead. She hasn’t spoken to him as his sister in years.

Something inside her shatters.

“How?” she chokes out.

“What?” Hunk asks.

“How?” Katie turns mechanically towards the Taurus Saint, voice soft. A cool breeze sweeps through the grassy hillside they’re sitting in.

Hunk frowns, “That’s the thing, we don’t know. There was an explosion of cosmo—Lady Athena felt it—and some of us saw the falling star… He must’ve been in a fight.”

“A star…” Katie mumbles. She’d seen that star. She made a wish on it. Now she feels foolish, and irrationally angry with herself. She stands up suddenly and looks toward the Path of Twelve Houses.

“Pidge, what are you—” Hunk starts.

“Thank you, Hunk, for the news. I… I need to go,” she says curtly, walking away until she believes herself out of sight, where she breaks into a run. Katie runs, tears leaking from her eyes, towards her cabin, but when she gets there she doesn’t want to stop. She keeps going until she finds herself on a rocky outcrop, the sheer cliff face below dropping into the sea. Here she stops, briefly checking to make sure she hasn’t been followed and can’t be seen, and then lets herself collapse to the ground. Her hands move to remove her mask, peeling it off her tear-soaked face slowly. Dropping it on the ground beside her, she buries her face in her hands and cries until she can’t cry anymore. Only when the salt trails on her cheeks can be rubbed off does she return her mask to its place, making her way sullenly back to her shared cabin, where she flops onto her bed and goes to sleep.

The next day a headstone is erected in the Sanctuary’s cemetery, but Katie doesn’t go until evening, bringing with her a chain of flowers. She’d spent the whole day in the field making it, trying to occupy her mind with the task. It hadn’t worked much. Regardless, she now has a long line of dainty flowers looped around her arms and neck, the ends trailing down her back like a scarf as she stares down at the engraved stone. The message is simple.

Aquarius Matthew.

Gold Saint.

Some flowers and a flask of some sort already sit in front of the stone. It hurts to look at them. The sound of footsteps on the grass behind her tears her attention away as a mixture of anger and relief well up inside her.

But it’s Hunk, and seeing his warm, sorrowful face, she turns and runs to hug him.

“Hunk, why?” she asks, her voice pained.

Hunk wraps his arms around her shoulders gently, “Pidge…”

“I don’t want you to die! I don’t want any of you to die! So why? Why…” her small form shudders as she sobs.

“None of us _want_ to die Pidge, but it’s a risk we have to accept when we become Saints, you know that. We risk ourselves to protect the good in the world, so that others don’t have to,” Hunk pauses, humming in thought. “Would you like to pay a visit to the Aquarius House?”

Katie nods and steps back, releasing Hunk from her hug, “I’d like that, yeah. Thanks, Hunk.”

Hunk smiles softly and turns toward the Path of Twelve Houses, “Come on, then.”

“Hold on,” Katie says, hands fumbling for the end of her flower chain. She breaks off a short length of it and makes a circlet from it. Resting the ring of flowers on the gravestone, she turns back towards Hunk and wipes at her eyes as well as she can through the holes in her mask before following her friend to the Aquarius House. By the time they arrive, the stars are out in full force against the cloudless black canvas of the night sky.

Stepping into the stone building Katie feels a sudden rush of emotion, a depth of sorrow emanating from within the columned halls. It’s a completely different experience from a month ago, when she’d been asked to drop Matt’s bags by the entrance. Then she had been curious, and the temple walls resonated with powerful energy. Now, her doleful eyes stare into the dark interior as she’s inundated with waves of sadness.

“What is that?” she whispers.

Hunk steps inside and beckons her to follow, “It’s the Aquarius cloth.”

Katie makes a small “oh” sound and works to keep stride with her friend, but gives up upon entering the first chamber. She slows her pace and stares in awe, mouth agape, at the shelves of books lining the walls. Floor to ceiling, wall to wall, the room is absolutely covered in books. There are even stacks of books on the floor in the corner, and some more piled on a desk in the center of the room. She hurries over to it and runs a finger along the edge of the polished wood, noticing the star charts and other papers strewn about its surface. Matt’s handwriting is on all of them, she notices. She pulls her hand back, eyes lingering on the pages for another moment before following Hunk out of the room.

“It’s pretty great, yeah?” Hunk asks quietly.

Katie nods.

“There’s another room, too. I hear Athena’s library, off the coast on Star Hill, is bigger though,” Hunk pauses and sweeps aside a curtain in an archway. “Through here,” he motions for Katie to enter. The room is small, perhaps only big enough for a handful of people to stand comfortably, and in the center of the floor is a low stone dais, the Aquarius cloth resting atop it. And it’s crying.

Katie can feel it. There aren’t any actual tears, but the cosmo surrounding the Aquarius cloth exudes pain and the same sorrow that washed over her when she stood at the entrance. For a moment, the cloth seems to be probing her mind, but the feeling soon fades and Katie looks down at the flowers looping around her. She throws an apprehensive glance at Hunk, receiving a reassuring smile in return, and steps closer to the golden armor. Slowly, she lifts the chain of flowers from her shoulders and begins draping it over the Aquarius cloth. When she’s done, she steps back and watches as Hunk places a small box of cookies on the dais, something he brought from the Taurus House on their way up.

After a moment, Hunk chuckles quietly to himself, earning a skeptical look from Katie.

“What’s so funny?” she asks incredulously.

Hunk smiles lightly and shakes his head, “I’m imagining Matt’s reaction to the flowers. I think he’d like them.”

Beneath her mask, a small smile creeps across Katie’s features as she imagines her brother covered in the frilly little flowers, “Yeah, he would.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how was it?
> 
> Angst angst angst >:3


	8. Interwoven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Keith and Shiro return to the sanctuary clearly worse for wear, Katie steps in to help, though she may have gotten herself in deeper than intended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love parallel chapters/episodes with different POV's, so this next part is fun. Relive the _suffering_ mwahahaha.
> 
> Katie's back and we can get the ball rolling, I think my slow-burn matches are almost dried out now XD

Two weeks have passed since Matt’s death, and the Sanctuary hasn’t been at ease since. With no news regarding the Saggitarius and Scorpio Saints, the overall level of concern amongst the Saints is rising. In need of something to occupy her mind, Katie volunteered for guard duty when she’s not training. She hadn’t expected to be involved in her friends’ return.

Katie’s post is on top of the gate, where she can see the road winding down into the town of Rodorio clearly. Two more guards keep watch in front of the gates, and her task is to run down and alert them if she ever sees anyone coming.

Which is exactly what she does when a figure on horseback appears on the road that morning.

Rushing down the narrow spiral staircase, she informs the other guards and takes up a position between the two of them. They wait, and after a short while the horseman draws up to the gate, horse panting and wild-eyed under him as he comes to a stop.

“Halt!” cries one of the guards, “State your name and business, but come no further.”

“I am Klaizap from outside Rodorio and I come with a message for the good Lady Athena from two of her most respectable Gold Saints.”

“Very well, you may tell us and we’ll have a runner pass it along,” the guard replies.

“Her Ladyship’s Saints are returning and expect to arrive by evening. That is all.”

“Thank you,” the guard nods, then turns toward Katie, “Go inform Lady Athena, please.”

Katie wastes no time in rushing off towards the Path of Twelve Houses and she soon finds herself at the entrance to the Taurus House. Katie desperately hopes Hunk is there; she doesn’t like the thought of passing through the Houses without permission, even if it is important to reach the top. But Hunk appears at the top steps when she calls out to him, a curious look on his face.

“Hey, Pidge. What brings you here?”

Still panting from her run up the steps, Katie takes a moment to respond, “We’ve received a message at the gate—Shiro and Keith should be here by evening. I was sent to inform Lady Athena.”

Hunk’s eyes widen at the news and he beckons her inside, “That’s wonderful news! There wasn’t anything else, was there?”

Katie shakes her head, “Hopefully that means they’re fine.”

Hunk frowns, “It concerns me that they sent a messenger. That’s definitely not something Keith would do, and I’m hard pressed to find a reason for Shiro to send one.”

Katie purses her lips in thought, “...maybe someone offered to do it? The messenger didn’t seem nervous.” She doesn’t want to believe something else happened to people she cares about. Not so soon after Matt’s death.

“Maybe,” Hunk offers. The two remain silent for the rest of the walk. Passing through the Aquarius House, Katie runs a hand along the desk in the library once again. Something about it is comforting. She notices that the papers on its smooth surface remain untouched.

Before long they reach the doors of the Pope’s chambers, and Hunk gives Katie a moment to stare up at them in awe before forcing the massive oak panels open. She hasn’t been this far up the Path of Twelve Houses before.

Inside, a long carpet runner leads to the stone chair where Pope Coran sits, though the rest of the room remains unfurnished. Hunk shuts the doors behind them and they hurry toward the other end of the room, kneeling upon arrival.

“Rise, no need for much of that right now,” Coran flaps a hand at them as he stands and approaches them. “Hello, Hunk. I trust you’re doing well?”

“Yes, sir,” Hunk replies.

Coran nods, “And you, Miss Pidge? What brings you here?”

Katie blinks, surprised that the Pope knows her name, “We’ve, ah, we’ve received a message. At the gate.” She points over her shoulder towards the Sanctuary’s entrance.

“Yes, and?” the Pope stares down at her through his cobalt blue mask.

“Sir Shirogane and Sir Kogane are expected here by evening.”

Pope Coran puts a hand to his chin, “I see,” he pauses. Then, “Very well!” he sweeps his robes back with a flourish and hurries toward the heavy velvet curtains behind him. He slips though and disappears for a moment, the echo of his voice muffled by the curtains. When he reappears, he bids that they remain on their feet as he holds the curtains open, allowing Athena herself to step inside.

“At ease,” she says softly, walking towards them with Coran in tow. She stops in front of them and crosses her arms, looking between Hunk and Katie for a moment, before pinning her crystalline gaze on the apprentice, “I hear you’ve received a message at the gate… Pidge, was it?”

“Yes,” Katie replies, and repeats the message for the third time that morning.

Athena claps her hands, “Wonderful! Oh, Coran, we should meet them when they arrive.” She pauses and taps a slender finger against her chin, “Say, sometime around five or six? The third terrace should do nicely, we’ll be able to see them coming. And of course, I want the both of you there as well,” she returns her gaze toward Hunk and Katie, “Thank you for the message.”

The two nod, earning a smile from Athena.

“Excellent. You may be dismissed,” she turns and heads back toward the curtains, “Coran, be sure to inform Sir Holt, he’ll want to be there…” her voice trails off behind the velvet.

Pope Coran chuckles to himself and waves goodbye before following after Athena.

Thus, Katie finds herself standing alongside Hunk and her father that evening as they wait for the Gold Saints’ return. Athena seems to have timed their arrival perfectly, as the group had only waited for a quarter of an hour when two gold-plated figures appeared at the gate. Her expression dims somewhat at that moment, her bright, warm cosmo surging for a fraction of a second before her usual ease returns to her face. Athena then sends Hunk to greet them further down the stairs.

Katie watches the returning Gold Saints climb the stairs until they reach the terrace, and she notes their condition as they approach. Shiro seems bruised, his arm twisted in an odd fashion that concerns her, but otherwise okay. Keith appears unharmed but somewhat pale; she isn't sure whether to attribute that to fatigue or illness. Hunk steps away with a quick bow and joins Katie at her side, and they watch Athena’s exchange with Keith and Shiro. Keith’s outburst when he first hears the news about Matt surprises Katie, and she wonders if he pushed the thought from his mind like she had done for the past two weeks.

Then her father steps up to speak, and if not for what he says to Keith, she’d run to him in tears. She hears when he turns to Athena, asking quietly to search for Matt’s body, and she bites her tongue and squashes the urge to hug him. She wants so badly to comfort him, to grieve with him and cry her heart out in his arms. It hurts so much to be so close, yet unable to do anything. A small part of her doubts her choice to come to the Sanctuary, but she squashes that too. 

She’s spent the last two and a half years training at the Sanctuary. No way is she going to back down now.

Athena is talking to the Gold Saints again, and Katie watches as she inspects Shiro’s arm with her gentle, golden cosmo. Everyone present feels it for a moment, like a refreshing glass of water on a hot day. Then she stops, speaking briefly with Shiro once again, and turns to Keith. Their exchange is cut short, however, when Keith is suddenly overcome with a coughing fit. Katie watches in horror as he blanches and sinks to his knees, blood dripping from his chin. Without thinking, she bursts from her place in the crowd and runs towards Athena. If no one present can help Keith, she knows someone who might.

“Lady Athena!” she cries urgently, drawing the taller woman’s attention.

Athena whirls on the spot, “Pidge? What’s wrong?”

Katie shakes her head, “I’m fine, but I know someone who might be able to help Keith!” she says quickly.

Athena’s brows knit, “Who?”

“My teacher,” Katie explains, words flowing rapidly from the masked apprentice. “I can go get her, but it’d help to know a possible cause of his condition. He said he was attacked by a Specter right?” 

“So it seems.”

“Ask him who,” Katie urges, dropping to her knees next to the Scorpio Saint. Athena follows suit, dress fluttering at her feet with the motion as she reaches forward and holds Keith’s face in her hands. He appears dazed and blinks at them.

“Keith. Keith, who fought you? Your enemy?” Athena’s voice is steady.

A second or two passes before he responds with a broken question. “Spec–ter?”

“Yes,” Katie answers, Athena nodding beside her. They watch Keith close his eyes and cough up more blood before he can speak. Red splashes onto Athena’s dress, but she ignores it, attention focused solely on listening for an answer.

“Deep,” Keith gurgles, more blood spilling from his lips, “Prorok.”

Athena turns to Katie, “You got that?”

Katie presses her lips together as she reaches over and wipes some of the blood off Keith’s chin with her thumb. She notices he shivers at the contact.

“Deep Prorok. Got it,” she stands and sets off at a sprint towards her teacher’s hut.

***

Katie slows her pace as she nears the outskirts of the Sanctuary, where her teacher lives. While some Saints take apprentices from the Sanctuary to train in hazardous locations around the globe, Ryner prefers to teach from within the Sanctuary, where her modest hut is surrounded by trees and her herb garden. Yet she is selective.

The Camelopardalis Saint takes but one apprentice at a time.

Ryner is the only one who knows who Katie really is. She’s the closest thing to family Katie has since coming to the Sanctuary.

Katie knocks on the door and lets herself in, ducking to avoid the dry plants that hang from beams in the ceiling and fill the hut with an earthy smell. The door to the back room is closed.

“Ryner?” Katie calls, pulling her mask off. Shuffling noises come from the other room, and the older woman opens the door to poke her head out. She wears her apron and gardening clothes; her mask is off.

“Ah, hello child,” Ryner smiles, stepping into the larger room. “What brings you here at this hour?”

Katie weaves between the furniture to reach Ryner and wrap her in a tight hug as she takes a deep breath to calm her nerves. Ryner smells like mint today. 

“I need your help, Ryner,” Katie says, voice muffled from talking into her teacher’s shirt.

Ryner smooths Katie’s hair with her hand, “What with?”

“Shiro and Keith are back, but Keith’s not doing well.”

Ryner frowns and pulls a stool closer, lowering herself onto the seat slowly as Katie kneels in front of her.

Katie fingers the edge of her mask in her lap, “He was coughing up blood.” She turns her gaze on Ryer, “He fought a Specter called Deep Prorok,” she explains, and relays the rest of what Keith had said to the older woman. 

“Do you think the Specter has anything to do with it?” Katie asks. Ryner had learned a great deal from her own teacher many years ago, not only in the realm of the healing arts, but also information regarding the Specters of Hades’ army. Knowing this, Katie hopes she might have a way to help Keith.

Ryner’s face darkens, “I do. We’ll need to prepare a poultice and some tinctures, as well as an antitoxin.”

Katie’s brow furrows, “What? Why?”

Ryner rises from the stool and turns a sharp green eye on her apprentice, “Dear, your friend's been poisoned. The Deep surplice’s power creates an airborne toxin in the form of a fragrance. The Specter likely used the fog to his advantage; the toxin could attach to the water droplets and go undetected due to the low visibility. You said this happened two weeks ago?” Ryner asks, pulling plants down from the ceiling.

Katie nods, grabbing a basket from the floor.

“Thank you, child,” Ryner murmurs, placing the dry foliage in the basket as she hums in thought. “The boy’s lungs are likely a right mess, then.”

“If that’s the case, shouldn’t he be sent to a hospital?” Katie asks, arms sagging as Ryner deposits a mortar and pestle into the basket.

Ryner chuckles, “No, dear. The professionals wouldn’t know what to do with him even if they opened him up and saw the damage themselves,” she pauses and hums to herself for a moment and sits down. “You know, this makes for a rather good lesson.”

Katie blinks, “Really?”

Ryder nods, picking a mint leaf from its stem, “Remember that every living thing has cosmo, yes?”

Katie sets her basket down on the floor, “Of course.”

“And the damage to Keith’s lungs was wrought by an evil cosmo. The attack plants seeds in its victim that are made from that cosmo, and therefore cannot be treated with modern medicine. So instead,” Ryner plucks a few jars off a table and hands them to Katie, “we make herbal remedies. Then, by bringing out the cosmo in the plants, it is possible to reverse the damage done.”

“So it… purges the body of the evil cosmo, then? Since it’s a nonaligned, universal cosmo?” Katie’s curious gaze follows her teacher as she gets up and crosses the room.

Ryner holds a bottle up to the window, “Something like that, yes.” She sets the bottle in her hands down and inspects another, “I’d say it purifies any unwanted cosmo in the body, though. Converts it, if you will. Cosmo is energy, after all, and you cannot simply get rid of energy. It has to go somewhere. That’s why when Saints die we see shooting stars.” Satisfied with her choice, she returns to Katie and sets the bottle in the basket. Regarding the young woman’s concerned face for a moment, Ryner pulls her in for a hug, “We’ll take good care of your friend.”

Katie nods, filling her nose with the minty smell around Ryner before stepping back with a whispered “Thank you.”

“Of course, Katie,” Ryner reassures, stooping to pick up the basket they’d prepared. She turns to leave, leading her apprentice to the door where she stops, pulling her mask from the pocket of her apron with a warm smile. Sage green leaf-like shapes around the eyes of the mask give the silver metal surface a softer, more natural look.

Katie raises her own, plain silver mask to her face and blinks owlishly at her teacher.

Ryner chuckles, “Masks on, then?”

“Let’s go,” Katie smiles and the two press the cool metal to their faces before heading out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it would be interesting if female saints take their masks off around each other, since the rule specifically applies to if a man sees their face (see notes on ch1).


	9. Waking Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie finds herself put in charge of the irritable Scorpio Saint's recovery, but some news from her teacher keeps her spirits (and patience) up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are now back on track for kidgeland, thank you for bearing with me while I detoured for some story setup, haha. *checks slow-burn matches* Hmm guess I need to find my match striker... ;P

Groaning, Keith opens his eyes to the high stone ceiling of the Scorpio House as he wakes, throat raw and body aching like he’d been hit with a two-ton boulder. The soft feeling of crisp sheets below him cause him to realize he is in his bed. He’s confused as to why—the last place he had been was the terrace with Shiro and Athena...

The terrace. _Matt is dead._

He sits up with a start, crying out in pain as his muscles protest the sudden movement. The action sends a cold chill across his exposed shoulders and he freezes.

_Why isn’t he wearing a shirt?_ Glancing down at himself, he finds a white gauze-like material wrapped around his torso. It’s cool on his skin, but a greenish paste around the edges assaults his nose with an astringent, grassy odor. Keith grimaces and gingerly turns his body to swing his legs over the side of the bed. Eyes scanning the room, his gaze lands on a figure by the opposite wall.

There is a young woman sleeping on a reed mat on the floor, lying with her back facing him.

His first thought is _why?_ Then, _who?_ And _she looks like Katie,_ but that doesn’t make any sense. He needs answers.

“Hey, wake up,” he calls, except his throat is dry and it comes out quiet and raspy. Keith frowns and stares at the floor. He doesn’t want to risk standing, sitting up was enough of a challenge as is, but he needs to get the woman’s attention. He leans back on his hands in thought. Something brushes his hand as he does, and he turns to see a small pillow, face lighting up with an idea. Reaching across the bed, he grabs the pillow and lobs it at the woman, hoping she’s a light sleeper.

The pillow lands on the woman’s shoulder and her reaction is immediate, sitting up sharply as she whips her head around to face her well-meaning attacker, silver mask covering her face. Her posture quickly shifts from alarm to surprise as she sees Keith sitting up and she hurries to stand.

“Sir Kogane!” she exclaims, “You’re awake!”

Keith ignores the statement, “Who are you?” he asks. She seems familiar.

“You don’t—” she stops and shakes her head. “Nevermind. I’m Pidge, apprentice of Silver Saint Camelopardalis Ryner.”

Keith nods at her name in recognition. She had been with Matt when he returned from the trip to Siberia. A pang of guilt makes him look away, eyes tracing lines in the stonework of the walls. But she mentioned Ryner...

Keith narrows his eyes and turns back to Pidge, “Why are you here? Also, what is this?” he asks, motioning toward the pungent green dressing on his chest.

Pidge sighs quietly, “You’ve been asleep almost all week.”

Keith’s brows furrow in confusion, “What? How?”

Pidge walks to the corner of the room and grabs a small jar from a basket, “You were poisoned by an attack from the Specter you fought… Deep Prorok, right?” she asks, turning towards him.

“Yeah, but poison? I never really felt ill.”

Pidge opens the jar and shoves it into his hands, “Drink that,” she commands, continuing without waiting for him. “The toxin sets in slowly and wrecks your lungs until you drown in your own blood. If you had gotten back even a day later, it would’ve killed you.”

Keith is silent, grimacing as he finishes off the licorice flavored liquid in the jar and hands it back to Pidge. She takes it and puts the cork back in, then crosses her arms.

“The poultice around your chest is in place to ease discomfort and promote healing. There’s some cosmo involved too, so it has to be changed out. Don’t mess with it. As for why _I_ am here, I’m supposed to keep an eye on you so you don’t do anything stupid. Also, Ryner put me in charge of administering tinctures and changing the poultice while she’s helping Shiro.”

Keith frowns, “Why? What’s wrong with Shiro?”

Pidge shakes her head, “Nothing’s wrong with Shiro. Lady Athena sent him to one of the Grande Foundation’s hospitals, and they determined his arm needed to be amputated. He got back a few days ago and has been resting for the most part. Ryner made some topical remedies to help with any pain, but she’s also trying to restore the cosmo in that arm. She believes it may be possible to summon a cosmo-energy limb when wearing a cloth.”

Keith raises an eyebrow, “Where’d she come up with that?”

Pidge moves to return the jar to the basket and turns toward Keith again, “Books on previous Gold Saints. Some have had limbs severed in battle, but they kept fighting with the cosmo that burned from the wound.”

“So she thinks a similar effect can be achieved with a healed limb?”

Pidge nods, “Exactly.”

“Huh,” Keith mutters. Shifting his arms, he pushes himself to his feet and stretches before taking a step toward the door. He isn’t expecting Pidge to jump in front of him.

But she does.

“Wait!” Pidge yells, “What are you doing?”

Keith gives her an indignant look and tries to move around her, “I’m leaving, what does it look like I’m doing?”

Pidge sidesteps in front of Keith and put her hands out to stop him, “You can’t _leave,_ you’re still healing. You need rest.” She presses her hands against his chest and pushes him back towards his bed as best she could.

Keith frowns and crosses his arms, “I’m not even leaving the Scorpio House, I’m just going to get something to eat.”

Pidge looks at him incredulously, “What?”

“Apparently I’ve been asleep for a week, and therefore I have not eaten in a week. I’m hungry,” he stares down at her defiantly. Her fiery, golden eyes blink back at him for a moment, then she turns away.

“I'm going up to the Sagittarius House to get Ryner. If you want anything I’ll bring it back with me, but you need to stay here.”

“Fine,” Keith throws his arms up in irritation, turning away as he winces at the motion.

The sounds of Pidge’s footsteps move closer to the doorway, “Try not to hurt yourself while I’m gone,” she says, shutting the door behind her.

Keith waits until the echoes of her steps have faded from the Scorpio House before grabbing his pillow from the floor and moving to the bed, gingerly laying down. He shuts his eyes and retreats into his thoughts. He’d been right to think standing would be uncomfortable.

***

“My child, I’m going to have to ask you to keep an eye on our dear Scorpio Saint for another week or so,” Ryner says softly as she stirs the simmering contents of the soup pot in front of her.

“How come?” Katie asks, grabbing a bowl from a cabinet. She sets it down on the counter next to a small, empty glass.

“I’ll be doing some research to find out what I can to help with Sagittarius’ arm. I’ve asked Lady Athena for permission to access the Aquarius Library, so that should help things,” she looks slyly at her student, “And perhaps I can bring you along on occasion?”

“No way, really?” Katie gasps. She’s wanted to properly visit the Aquarius Library since she first learned of it, and despite Matt’s death that wish still holds true.

Ryner chuckles, “Yes, of course, but that’s beside the point. I’ll be mostly occupied for a while, so I’ll need you to keep an eye on Mr. Brash and Reckless for a bit longer.” She picks up the bowl and fills it with soup as she hums to herself.

Katie sighs and sets the dishes onto a tray while her teacher searches the drawers for a spoon. Ryner soon finds one and drops it into the bowl of soup on her way out of the Scorpio House’s kitchenette. Katie follows closely, stepping carefully so as not to spill anything. She waits while Ryner knocks on the door of Keith’s room, then follows her inside.

Immediately, Katie’s eyes land on Keith, laid back on the pillow he’d thrown at her earlier, but something is off. He looks deflated.

Ryner shuts the door softly behind them, and Keith turns his head towards the pair with dull eyes. He shifts onto his elbows with a grunt and turns his body in an effort to sit up again. Ryner is silent, moving to the corner of the room with the basket.

Katie brings the tray of dishes to Keith’s bedside table and sets it down, then steps away, hands behind her back. “Sir Shirogane wishes to visit you soon, but only when you feel you are ready,” she reports.

An odd expression flashes across Keith’s face for a moment, and Katie wonders at it. Could it be he thought himself at fault for recent events? Or was it something else? She can't know, and doesn’t dare to ask. She wants to say a thousand things to let him know it’s okay, that she doesn’t blame him, but she can’t. Pidge can’t.

Ryner draws up beside Katie with a bottle in her hand and picks up the glass on the tray. “That soup ought to do you some good, boy. Get your strength back and whatnot. Drink this,” she says, pouring a greenish-yellow liquid into the glass. She gives it to Keith and corks the bottle, handing it off to Katie.

“What is it?” Keith eyes the glass in his hands skeptically.

“Tea, made with lots of things that are good for coughs and sore throats, so drink up,” she explains, motioning for Katie to put the bottle away. “I’ve assigned my apprentice to keep an eye on your recovery for the next week or so, so do be nice to her,” she prods at Keith’s poultice with a finger and hums, “Dry. That won't do. Pidge, dear, step out with me for a moment.”

Katie nods and hurries to follow her teacher down the hall. Ryner pulls a slip of paper from her apron and presses it into Katie’s hand gently.

“Don’t lose that,” Ryner says.

“What’s it for?” Katie asks, closing her fingers around the paper.

“I’ll explain in a moment, let me finish with my instructions before you get curious,” Ryner chuckles, “Anywho, child, I really do need you to keep a good eye on Keith. He’s the type not to tell you how he’s really feeling and that’s a bit problematic while he’s healing. You may be the only person capable of making that boy be plain with us, seeing as how stubborn you are yourself, yeah?”

Katie nods; Keith had never been keen on being helped, or babysat, as he calls it.

“Good, now that brings me to the important stuff. Don’t let him overexert himself or anything, preferably don’t let him leave the Scorpio House, but I realize that sounds impossible. Keep giving him the tinctures every day. The paper I gave you is the recipe for the poultice; I want you to re-apply it every two days. You’ve helped with the last few, so I trust you can do it on your own.”

“I’ll do my best,” Katie says, mock saluting her teacher.

“I know you will,” Ryner assures, stooping to give the younger woman a hug. “I’ll be back in a little while to re-apply the poultice, but afterwards it’s up to you,” she adds, patting Katie’s shoulder gently before she turns toward the hall, leaving Katie in the house of the Golden Scorpion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Katie is lucky Keith is groggy and recovering from near-death and thus immediately chalks her up as vaguely resembling his friend and then dismisses any possibility that Katie could actually be there.


	10. A Cold Cosmos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie deals with a restless Keith, who's tired of being forced to take it easy and recover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remember having to rewrite parts of this chapter a ton to make sure it wasn't awkward, lol.

Katie huffs a breath of cool night air, labored footsteps dragging her from the top of the stairs to the soaring entrance of the Scorpio house. She stops and pulls herself upright, sucking in a deep breath to calm her rapid heartbeat. Oh, how she wishes the Path of Twelve Houses was an elevator and not the world’s longest staircase. As her breathing slows, she uncurls a hand from its grip on the basket of herbs and medicines and raises it to her face, checking to make sure her mask is secure. It is, and her hand flits back to the basket, fingers grazing the wicker. She steps inside the shadowed building, sidling along the wall like a cat.

She feels silly, really, sneaking around like she is. Not something to be doing in the house of someone you’re helping recover. Not something to be doing in a Gold Saint’s house no less. Not that she has much of a choice, anyway. Katie lets out an annoyed huff and peeks around the corner.

She wouldn’t need to be doing this if Keith wasn’t such a restless, impatient person. She half-heartedly wonders how she ever put up with him in the past. Yet, here she is, playing ninja at an ungodly hour, the handle of the wicker basket making imprints on the palms of her hands. 

It’s a simple task, in theory. She needed ingredients to make Keith’s poultice, so she had to make a quick run to Ryner’s hut to get them. Keith grew irritable at his containment rather quickly, however, and had already made two attempts to slip outside in as many days. Katie knows, then, that he’ll leave as soon as she is gone, which is problematic. She considered asking Hunk to babysit his fellow Gold Saint while she’s out, but knows the big guy can be easily convinced; not only does Keith have seniority among their rank, but he can be persistent when he wants something, as Katie is well aware. Hunk wouldn’t stand a chance.

Then, of course, she has to leave while Keith is asleep. However, she needs to make sure he’s asleep, and not feigning sleep, before she can even think about leaving. Naturally, this meant she hadn’t reached Ryner’s hut until long after midnight, and hadn’t made it back to the Scorpio house until even later. Which brings her to her current situation of sneaking around the place.

Shuffling awkwardly around the corner, Katie slips down the hallway toward the kitchen, where she sets down her basket and massages her sore hands. She sits down with her back to the cabinets. It’s late enough that Keith will be awake soon, but still early enough that waiting for him would be a waste of energy, so she opts to close her eyes and rest as best she can for a while. She only hopes she won’t fall asleep in the interim.

***

Katie wakes with a start and immediately decides she _loves_ birds. Their early morning sing-song as the sun rises to heat and light the Earth is as good of a wake up call as someone in her position can ask for. She stands and stretches, peering down the hall that leads to the entrance to catch a glimpse of the sunlight pouring in. The angle of the soft, amber glow that spills across the stonework tells her it’s somewhere near five in the morning. Perfect. She’ll have enough time to throw something together for breakfast before preparing the poultice.

Breakfast, of course, really means grabbing some butter from the ice box and slapping it on one of Hunk’s muffins (what a blessed man), while throwing in water and an apple for good measure. Without building a fire for the stove, there’s only so much you can do in a centuries-old monument of a building, after all.

Katie takes the food to a small room with a door she’d found; it had probably been a storage room or a closet at one point, but now goes unused. It’s a testament to Keith’s spartan, almost austere tastes. She shuts the door behind her and removes her mask, which she rests on the floor while she eats. Not wanting to give Keith an opportunity to slip out, she finishes up quickly and returns to the kitchen with her mask back in place. 

She hurries over to the basket she’d brought in earlier, peeling back the fabric covering. Ryner’s recipe sits atop the required ingredients, alongside a few jars, some empty, some not. One of them is a sleep aid she’d grabbed in case she needs to run out to get something again and Keith is, more or less, misbehaving. Otherwise, she has everything she needs, and starts working on the poultice. 

Ryner left a mortar and pestle in the kitchen for her to use, and Katie reaches for it now, measuring what she needs into the dish. Mixing with the mortar and pestle always has an oddly soothing effect, the repetitive motions easy to maintain while still feeling productive. She can lose herself in the work, for a time.

So she doesn’t hear when a door opens and shuts down the hall.

“What’re you making?” Keith asks from over her shoulder.

Katie curses, cosmo flaring as her hand tightens around the pestle, splitting it in half. Shoulders tense, she whips around and stares angrily up at Keith, “Don’t do that!” she hisses.

Keith frowns and takes a step back, “Right, sorry.” She’d chastised him the day before for a similar offense, but she can’t blame him. He must be bored out of his mind.

Katie relaxes her shoulders with a sigh, “‘Ts fine. You startled me, I overreacted.” Her gaze drops to the split pestle in her hand and she turns to set the halves gently on the counter. “The, uh, the poultice should be done anyway,” she turns back to Keith, running a hand through her hair. “That’s what I was making,” she adds.

Keith nods and stares at the floor while Katie turns away. She covers the wicker basket again and picks up the dish with the poultice, about to leave the kitchen when Keith asks her a question.

“Do you need me to bring anything?”

Surprised, she stops and turns back halfway, the earnest look on Keith’s face keeping her from facing him completely. It’s a look she is all too familiar with, but she ignores the thought and wrangles her focus back to the question. There are towels still in Keith’s room from Ryner’s visit, but… “Yeah, actually. Could you fill a bowl with water and bring it with you?”

Keith nods again and Katie turns away, walking toward Keith’s room. He joins her shortly thereafter and sits down on his bed after removing the old dressing, eyes following Katie’s movements while she soaks towels in the bowl of water.

Standing, she takes one of the towels and wrings it out before giving it to Keith to wipe away the remnants of the dry poultice. While he does that, Katie scoops the new mixture into her hands, using her foot to toss another towel at Keith.

“Use that to dry off, then lay down,” she instructs, clapping her hands together to keep the poultice from hardening. Keith complies wordlessly and Katie moves to stand alongside the bed.

“Try not to move,” she adds, and shuts her eyes, summoning her cosmo. She can feel it sparking inside her, surging into her senses, and she focuses it toward her hands. She leans forward and applies the poultice, her cosmo merging with the universal, white cosmo imbued in the plant mixture to draw out its power. Keith’s own cosmo lingers just below, an energetic, golden fire dampened by the toxin inside of it. Taking a deep breath, she dips her own cosmo into his, working through the poultice to expel the toxin.

With her eyes shut to the physical world, Katie doesn’t see Keith’s eyes widen as their cosmos meet, his calm expression replaced with one of surprise. Unlike when Ryner applied the poultice after he woke up, Pidge’s cosmo sucks his breath away. She has more power than he expected, and the effect is a cold, tingling sensation throughout his body that makes him numb, yet he feels galvanized at the same time. 

Keith blinks, sixth sense illuminating the verdant hue of Pidge’s cosmo, but the yellow tinge around the edges catches his attention. It’s an unusual characteristic, one that throws him into a state of confusion, only to be sharply brought out of it by a sudden, intense chill. An involuntary, silent gasp escapes his lungs at the return of the cold sensation as feeling flows back into his limbs. Eyes darting towards his chest, he sees Pidge pull her hands away, separating herself from his cosmo, the green color of her own fading away as she opens her eyes. 

Clearing his vision, Keith sits up, amazed at the light feeling in his chest, as if whatever had been plaguing him is gone. He then watches as Pidge unwinds a roll of gauze, giving him the end to hold in place while she wraps it around his torso. It’s while she ties off the end of the gauze that they both look up in surprise, sensing a cosmo near the entrance of the Scorpio House. Pidge’s hands drop to her sides and she turns her head toward the door briefly. Pidge hums as she taps a foot against the stone floor, causing Keith to raise an eyebrow at her. The silvery mask makes her otherwise unreadable.

“I’m going to go see who it is—though I have my suspicions,” Pidge grumbles, then narrows her eyes at him, “Stay put.”

Keith crosses his arms and leans back against the wall behind him with a nod. He watches her leave the room, then shuts his eyes and reaches out with his cosmo in an effort to identify his guest. He passes over Pidge’s cosmo as she moves toward the entrance, and focuses his attention there, where he recognizes the warm, inviting cosmo as the Taurus Saint, Hunk. That’s all right, Hunk is probably just worried. As usual. What grabs his attention—and bothers him—is the third cosmo, smaller than Hunk’s, but with a fire just as bright that exudes an impatience he’s unfamiliar with. Keith frowns, confused. An unfamiliar cosmo with power almost on par with the current Golds is strange, and he isn’t sure what to make of it.

Keith opens his eyes and pushes himself off his bed with an irritable huff. 

“Sorry, Pidge,” he mutters. He needs to investigate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the last one of my backlog of pre-written chapters... I've been so busy this year I haven't been able to write anything new for this AU yet, big oof. Similarly I haven't posted a new 1920's au since March.... I'm so sorry guys I promise I haven't abandoned it, and I'm not abandoning this fic either. Zoom college sucks -10/30 do not recommend.


	11. Sting the Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Katie greet the Scorpio House's visitors, but not without some contention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact about this chapter: I got about halfway done with it before I wrote myself into a corner and had to let it sit for like a year before I decided to revisit it. Doing so is what prompted me to start posting this fic and decide to continue it (which... I have not yet had the time to do lol. It is coming though!)

Katie hums happily as she steps through the Scorpio House’s entrance and into the sunlight. She quickly spots her friends as the source of the cosmo she and Keith had felt from inside. 

“Hey Hunk, Lance. What brings you here?” she asks, looking to Hunk. “Worried again?”

Hunk nods, “Yeah, I was hoping I could come talk to Keith and check on him. I brought more muffins, too,” he adds, pressing a small box into her hands. “Blueberry, this time.”

Katie hugs the box close, “Thanks Hunk, you’re the best.”

Hunk looks away bashfully, “It’s nothing, Pidge. You and Keith are both good friends.”

Lance pouts, feigning indignance, “Hey, I’m a good friend too! Why don’t I get muffins?”

Hunk rolls his eyes, “You’re not sick and you’ve got plenty of food in the Leo house. I’ll make you something for your birthday.”

Lance’s eyes light up and he pumps a fist in the air, “Yeah!”

Katie laughs, “I’ve missed talking to you guys. The most exciting thing I’ve done this week was when I snuck out last night to get more medicine. If I leave Keith alone he tries to escape.”

Lance laughs at that, but Hunk appears distracted, his gaze landing somewhere behind her. Katie turns to look down the hall.

Keith is there, walking towards them. 

She narrows her eyes at him angrily, “I told you to stay put.”

“Yeah, and I didn’t listen,” Keith shrugs, “What’s going on?”

“I brought muffins,” Hunk supplies. “I wanted to come check on you, and Lance asked to tag along. He feels that proper introductions are in order, apparently.”

Keith shifts his attention to Lance. “Leo Saint, huh?” he asks rhetorically, as if the gold armor doesn’t make it obvious.

Lance plants a hand on his hip, “You know it. Twenty-four carat gold. I was inducted a few weeks ago.”

Keith raises an eyebrow, “Really? How was it?”

“Amazing,” Lance grins, “Hunk was there.”

“Did you handle it okay?” Keith asks the Taurus Saint.

Hunk nods, “Yeah.”

Lance folds his arms, “He did a wonderful job, no thanks to you for being gone.”

Keith frowns, “What?”

A tight expression forms on Hunk’s face as Lance’s tendency to get wound up shines through.

Lance rolls his eyes, “You should’ve been here.”

“Lance, no,” Hunk hisses nervously.

Keith bristles at the Leo Saint “Hey, I brought Shiro back alive! Matt _died_ and I almost did too! How can you call yourself a Gold Saint if you treat that so lightly?” he growls, voice hoarse.

Lance stiffens, and the two stare each other down, neither wanting to back off.

Alarmed, Katie steps between them and throws her hands up, “Enough, both of you!” she bellows, then turns her attention to the Scorpio Saint. “Keith, you’re going to hurt yourself, stand down,” she commands.

Keith switches his hardened gaze to stare at her, but she returns it with a fierce glare of her own. Behind her, Hunk makes attempts to diffuse Lance as well.

Katie places a hand on Keith’s chest and pushes him back a step, “Go cool down. Getting into a shouting match isn’t going to help you get better. I’ll tell Hunk to come in after he’s got Lance sorted out.”

Keith turns away, staring daggers into the wall before sighing irritably and allowing his shoulders to relax. Katie watches him walk back inside, then turns to face Hunk and the new Leo Saint.

“This was not a smart move, guys,” she scolds lightly. “Hunk, you know Lance doesn’t like Keith for a collection of odd and usually stupid reasons. Bringing him here was a disaster waiting to happen,” she huffs, turning to Lance, “And you! You really should’ve just waited until Keith was better before “properly introducing yourself” or whatever your excuse was.” Katie sighs through her nose and presses a hand to her temple, “I know you guys have good intentions, but _please._ Keith has been sick and cooped up in the Scorpio house for a week and a half. The word ‘restless’ is an understatement.”

Hunk’s gaze drops to the stonework in the floor, “I’m sorry Pidge. I was worried, and I thought it’d be good for all of us to see each other again. We’ve been so busy…”

“I’m sorry too,” Lance says softly. “I… shouldn’t have said those things to Keith. He doesn’t deserve it.”

“Thank you,” Katie nods, then crosses her arms. “Now I want the both of you to apologize to Keith too, later. Right?” Hunk and Lance nod back, and Katie smiles to herself beneath the mask. “Good. Lance, you should probably head back to the Leo house. Hunk, if you still want to, I told Keith I’d send you in.”

A sly grin creeps across Lance’s face and he lets out a low whistle, “Wow, Pidge issuing commands like a Gold Saint. You sure you aren’t Mrs. Scorpio Saint or something? You two sure act alike.”

 _“Lance,”_ Hunk hisses sharply, swatting his friend in the shoulder as Katie stiffens, staring Lance down with her death glare. 

Lance holds up his hands as he turns away, “Alright, sorry, I was just joking. Leaving now, _please don’t kill me.”_

“I wouldn’t hesitate if it weren’t for our current casualty list. Count yourself lucky,” Katie deadpans. She can’t hold back a smirk under her mask though, as she notices Lance’s pace hasten at her comment.

“Uh, are you sure it’s okay for me to go in?” Hunk asks once Lance is far enough away.

Katie holds up the box of muffins to eye level with a hidden smile, “Positive. I’m sure he’d love someone to talk to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of my pre-written chapters for this au, and the way this year has been I haven't had time to write more, and I'm being steamrolled with schoolwork this semester, so there will likely be no chapter for December.
> 
> Never fear though, as soon as I am able I'll continue to write! I'm hoping to have more free time after the semester ends :D
> 
> Also now we meet the Leo Saint!  
> [Lance's Armor](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/66/f4/83/66f483cc0252239dda764af91013d625.jpg)  
> 


End file.
